U.S. Attorney General told the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that Deputy Attorney General James Cole was the one who authorized the subpoenas of Associated Press journalists as part of a criminal investigation into an administration leak.
“I’ve just been given a note that we have in fact confirmed that the deputy was the one who authorized these subpoenas,” Holder said midway through the hearing during questioning, after initially being less than certain that Cole made the decision.
Holder said he recused himself from the investigation because he was a witness in the case.
“I wasn’t viewed as one of the people who had access to information, subject of the investigation,” he said. “I, along with other members of the national security division recused myself, head of the national security division was left, the present head of the national security division, we all recused ourselves. I recused myself because I thought it would be inappropriate and have a bad appearance to be a person who was a fact witness in the case to actually lead the investigation, given the fact, unlike Mr. Cole, that I have a greater interaction with members of the press than he does.”
