by In his discussion of rumors that former Deputy Attorney General David Ogden is going to roll over on Eric Holder and others in the Obama Administration – which Mike warns might be a disinformation effort – he goes on to say that the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has enough now that they could indict William Newell for perjury. That is, if the Republican leadership would allow it.
Sources say that the Oversight Committee has more than enough evidence to charge “Gunwalker Bill” Newell (and others) with more than one count of perjury. The Republican leadership, specifically John Boehner, is reported to oppose that because “he doesn’t want to get ahead of the facts,” according to one source. The same source, who works for the federal government, added in disgust, “The real reason is that Boehner is a pussy.”
The source believes that were Newell to be charged, demonstrating the seriousness of the Committee’s intent, that “there would be an instant change in the attitude of the rest of the guilty” and that “the cover-up would collapse overnight.” The cover-up “COULD be collapsed overnight,” said the source, “if the Republican leadership had the balls to do it. But they don’t.”
More than once I’ve been tempted to send a set of these to the Republican leadership as a replacement but didn’t want to waste the money.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the strong impression that the Constitution absolutely denies to the Congress the power of criminal prosecution; that is solely vested in the Executive and with good historical reasons. We are by design not a Westminster parliamentary system where the winning party gets a temporary monopoly on both the legislative and executive functions of government.
The Congress has soft power as the nation's Grand Inquisitor, which is what Issa is doing, plus of course the power of impeachment. But that's it (they do have the power of the purse, but again, they can't enforce that except through the two previously mentioned mechanisms).
@HGA: You are correct that any perjury charges would have to be brought by the US Attorney on referral from Congress. I believe the only charges that Congress can bring directly are impeachment and contempt of Congress.
Hmmm, without the support of the Executive to do contempt of Congress themselves they'd have to drag the offender into the Capital building (as I read the Wikipedia entry). That might prove difficult for the "unavailable" guy sent to Iraq. And that assumes the Republican leadership would have any stomach for such action.
I suppose they could "grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal", it would hardly stretch the Constitution any more than it already has been (although obviously it would be a very bad idea for internal issues).