GOP on Holder’s exit: ‘Good riddance’
The announcement of Attorney General Eric Holder’s resignation on Thursday brought a fiery reaction from Republican lawmakers who wished him “good riddance.”
GOP lawmakers quickly took to Twitter to voice their dislike for Holder, with whom they clashed frequently.
Good riddance Eric Holder. Your disregard for the Constitution of the United States will not be missed.
— Rep. Jeff Duncan (@RepJeffDuncan) September 25, 2014
Eric Holder’s resignation is long overdue.
— Rep. Andy Harris, MD (@RepAndyHarrisMD) September 25, 2014
Anyone sad to see Eric Holder stepping down as AG? Not me. I can’t think of any AG in history who has attacked Louisiana more than Holder.
— David Vitter (@DavidVitter) September 25, 2014
.@DarrellIssa: "Holder is the most divisive U.S. Attorney General in modern history and…first Attorney General held in criminal contempt."
— Rob Bluey (@RobertBluey) September 25, 2014
{mosads}Holder was ad odds with Republicans on many issues, and the GOP-led House voted to hold him in contempt in 2012. Lawmakers said Holder had failed to comply with part of a subpoena for documents related to the botched “Fast and Furious” gunrunning operation.
In that program, federal officials allowed guns to be sold to smugglers in an effort to trace the weapons back to drug gangs. But officials lost track of the weapons, one of which was found by the body of a slain Border Patrol agent.
Some Republicans were more gracious but noted their “strong disagreements” with the attorney general.
Wish AG Holder well in his next career. Hope next AG is less political and more true to the law and willing to do real investigations.
— Rep. Lee Terry (@LEETERRYNE) September 25, 2014
I appreciate AG Holder’s service to our country even though we had strong disagreements at times. I wish him well in future endeavors.
— Lindsey Graham (@GrahamBlog) September 25, 2014
Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly (Va.) hit back against what he called “bias,” against the nation’s first black attorney general.
House contempt vote against Holder is a low point for Congress. Redolent of a bias that shames the House majority
— Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) September 25, 2014
Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, previously called for Holder to resign over “Fast and Furious.”
“The nation deserves an Attorney General whose loyalty to the justice system will trump loyalty to a political party, and I hope the President will nominate someone who will uphold the basic standards of honesty, transparency, and accountability that have been so glaringly absent in this Justice Department,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, praised Holder.
“Attorney General Holder has been an extraordinary leader of the Department of Justice, and is to be congratulated for his service,” he said in a statement, praising him for work on civil rights, national security and voting rights.
–This report was updated at 1:11 p.m.
