COOK Welcomes Resignation

Welcomes Overdue Resignation

of Attorney General Eric Holder

COOK Welcomes Resignation

WASHINGTON – Rep. Paul Cook (R – Apple Valley) welcomes the resignation announcement that US Attorney General Eric Holder will step down. Holder has occupied the office of Attorney General for nearly six years. His tenure has been marked by scandals, refusal to follow laws passed by Congress, and unwillingness to investigate wrongdoing in the executive branch.

Under Eric Holder, the Justice Department oversaw the “Fast and Furious” operation, where thousands of guns were illegally sold to Mexican drug cartels. These guns were later linked to numerous murders, including that of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Holder also trampled on the freedom of the press by tracking the phone of journalist James Rosen and prohibited law enforcement officials in Arizona from enforcing state immigration laws.

Early in his tenure, Holder refused to prosecute the New Black Panther Party for voter intimidation despite verified accounts of armed members of the party located at polling places. Holder consistently refused to investigate wrongdoing by members of the executive branch, most notably State Department officials after Benghazi and IRS official Lois Lerner after using the IRS to target political opponents.

Cook said, “Eric Holder’s resignation is long overdue. For six years, he’s trampled on the constitutional separation of powers by single-handedly picking and choosing which federal laws he would enforce. His partisan tenure has brought dishonor upon the Office of Attorney General. It’s time for the President to appoint a humble and truly independent Attorney General who will enforce the law, prosecute wrongdoing, and be accountable to the American people.

“While Holder has stated he intends to stay on until a replacement is approved, I urge him to resign immediately. The Justice Department needs leadership Americans can trust and that can't happen until Holder has left office.”

A member of the House Veterans’ Affairs, Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs Committees, Cook served as an infantry officer and retired after 26 years as a Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps. During his time in combat, he was awarded the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.