Lawyers for the Justice Department and House Republicans are working to settle a suit over documents related to Operation Fast and Furious, Reuters reported Tuesday. House Republicans filed the suit in August after finding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. They are seeking access to records related to a gun trafficking investigation run by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that allowed weapons to flow into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. The White House contends the records are protected by executive privilege.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, seeking to avoid interfering in a dispute between the executive and legislative branches, encouraged settlement talks during a hearing in federal court on Tuesday, Reuters reported. “There may be some benefit in trying to work it out, either among yourselves or with the help of a mediator,” she said.
