Once again the media is reporting supposed facts about Speaker John Boehner without actually confirming them. This time Fox News’s William La Jeunesse states Speaker Boehner is putting pressure on Chairman Darrell Issa to drop contempt charges against Attorney General Eric Holder in relation to the ongoing investigation of Operation Fast and Furious.
This is not true. Speaker Boehner’s spokesman Michael Steel confirmed it for me once again.
“The Speaker supports Chairman Issa’s efforts to hold the Department of Justice accountable,” Mr. Steel wrote in an email.
Over and over the media has used anonymous sources for this story instead of actually confirming anything with Speaker Boehner’s office.
Many times Speaker Boehner has professed his support for Chairman Issa. On May 10 he said all options were on the table. But before that press conference Politico published an article saying just the opposite–that the GOP leadership wanted to take its time on the investigation.
These shots in the dark are nothing new. Last month, Politico and The Hill presented wildly different stories on how the GOP leadership was going to handle contempt charges against Mr. Holder.
This has to stop. Speaker Boehner and the rest of the GOP House Leadership have made it clear they support Chairman Darrell Issa & the Oversight Committee’s investigation into Fast and Furious. If reporters are going to contradict the official position of Boehner’s office, they’re going to need more than just anonymous sources to craft a credible story.
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