Holder – done  Holdin’ out?

Representative Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has agreed to postpone a contempt vote against Attorney General Eric Holder, provided Holder discloses the additional documents relating to the failed gunwalking operation Fast and Furious.  Holder has expressed willingness to compromise and turn over documents showing how the government learned about specifics in the Fast and Furious operation. The rest of the documents, he said, were not within the Oversight Committee’s interest in the investigation.  Holder also offered to meet with  Issa, chairman of the House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform by today to discuss the controversial withholding of documents in relation to the operation.

This is in the midst of the investigation into  Fast and Furious , where the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives  intentionally let weapons purchased by traffickers  across the border to strengthen their case. The fallout of the case included the death of Brian Terry, a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

“The department’s willingness to provide these materials is a serious, good-faith effort to bring this matter to an amicable resolution,” Holder said, according to the  New York Times. “We believe that this briefing, and the documents we are prepared to provide — which will include information you have requested regarding whistle-blowers — will fully address the remaining concerns identified in the recent letters to me from you and House leadership.”

This is in response to Issa’s June 16 letter in which he said he could compromise the June 20 contempt vote, but only if Holder submitted a “serious proposal,” Politico reports.

“Let me be clear – if the Department of Justice submits a serious proposal for how it intends to alter its refusal to produce critical documents subpoenaed by the Committee, I am ready and willing to meet to discuss your proposal,” Issa said to Holder in a June 13 letter.

Rumor has it: Two sources close — or formerly close — to Holder have come to Issa seeking protection as whistleblowers, according to Sipsey Street Irregulars‘ Mike Vanderbeogh and National Gun Rights Examiner David Codrea ,  The Examiner reports. An anonymous source with knowledge of the gunwalker investigation likened whistleblowers’ information to “keys to the kingdom as far as Holder is concerned.”

Other open government news:

Update: The Senate Appropriations Committee told the Department of Labor to cooperate with media in finding a mutually-agreeable policy that would serve the needs of both parties, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. Read more here.

Bonus near $500K  has some questioning lobbyist’s motives

Thomas MacKenzie,  a former Northrop Grumman lobbyist, received nearly $498,334 as a bonus in 2011 after leaving the company to work for the House Armed Services Committee, incidentally taking a near $400,000 paycut, according to the Project on Government Oversight.  Northrop Grumman is one of the largest weapons makers in the world and could stand to benefit by having someone on their side on the Committee, according to Lee Fang of the Republic Report.

Whitney is the summer Pulliam/Killgore intern with SPJ. She recently graduated from Brigham Young University after studying journalism. Connect with her via email –  wevans@hq.spj.org –  or on twitter – @whitevs7

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Public, WaPo stick up for whistleblower Thomas Drake

National Security Administration whistleblower Thomas Drake goes to court next week, but he isn’t without public support for his actions.

Drake is facing charges of violating the Espionage Act of 1917. According to prosecutors, he willfully retained classified documents that he had promised to protect.

Drake provided unclassified but important information to a Baltimore Sun reporter about wasteful spending and other problems in the NSA, which led to his indictment. He faces up to 35 years in prison.

The Washington Post published an editorial Sunday that echoed the concerns of various whistleblower supporters. The central question in the Drake case, at least for the WaPo editorial board, is whether the court case is an overkill response to Drake’s actions.

The Government Accountability Project (GAP) showed support for Drake on June 3, presenting a petition to Attorney General Eric Holder and the House of Representatives and Senate Judiciary Committees urging the Department of Justice to drop the case against Drake.

The petition has more than 4,600 signatures according to its Web page on Change.org.

Nigeria FOI law to strengthen transparency of extractive industry

The country’s new FOI law, recently signed by President Goodluck Jonathan, should boost transparency in the extractive industry.

The operations of the industry’s revenue collection agencies and oil companies can be very secretive, but there is a push toward open access that the new law can strengthen.

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) aims to improve openness among industry companies, especially with respect to their revenue disclosures. Its Executive Secretary, Zainab Ahmed, said the FOI act complemented the NEITI Act of 2007 that created the initiative.

With the implementation of the FOI law, as well as NEITI, Nigeria is moving forward with its goal of improving transparency throughout the nation – both in the government and in the economic sector as well.

– Morgan Watkins

Morgan Watkins is SPJ’s summer Pulliam/Kilgore Freedom of Information intern and a University of Florida student. Reach her by email (mwatkins@spj.org) or connect with her on Twitter (@morganwatkins26).