House oversight committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa has taken the first formal step in holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress over Operation Fast and Furious.

On Thursday, Issa distributed a both briefing paper laying out the case for holding the Attorney General in contempt and a lengthy draft of the contempt citation to Democrats and Republicans on his House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

In a statement accompanying the briefing paper and contempt citation draft’s release, Issa said they describe how the Department of Justice and Holder have refused to cooperate with the congressional investigation into Fast and Furious.

“This briefing paper and draft contempt report explains the case, to both Members of the Committee and the American people, for holding Attorney General Holder in contempt of Congress,” Issa said in the statement. “In describing the results of the Justice Department’s refusal to cooperate – including the hardships the family of a fallen Border Patrol agent have faced in seeking the truth, and retaliation against agents who blew the whistle on gunwalking – this briefing paper provides the facts, on which decisions will be made.”

Holder spokesman Tracy Schmaler didn’t immediately respond to The Daily Caller’s request for comment, but CBS News’ Sharyl Attkisson reports that a DOJ official claims it has complied with congressional investigations into Fast and Furious.

“We’ve done twice-a-month [document] productions since last year, and the Attorney General has testified about this matter no less than seven times,” an anonymous DOJ official told CBS news.

TheDC plans to examine the contempt citation further as the story develops. More to come.

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