(Washington, D.C.) – House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) today released the following statement in response to recent comments by former Vice President Dick Cheney and the continued withholding of Bush-era torture documents.
"The recent spectacle of Dick Cheney’s public effort to head off investigation of these matters makes clear how much work needs to be done to move this issue past politics. Mr. Cheney’s efforts are not surprising – such an investigation would obviously implicate his own actions and those of his underlings. But after years of deceit and demagoguery from Mr. Cheney, it is a surprise that anyone still takes him seriously on these subjects. Having spent eight years discrediting the office of the vice president, it is a shame that he now appears determined to discredit his former vice presidency as well.
"These episodes, along with the politicized outcry against Attorney General Holder’s modest step of opening a preliminary investigation – a step that was plainly required by law – make clear yet again the need for an independent bipartisan commission to look at these matters and separate the truth from politicians’ spin. I hope all Americans, including Mr. Cheney, will join in support of a fair, open effort such as this so that all may judge the facts for themselves.
"I also urge the CIA to reconsider its recently reported position and release all key documents on the Bush interrogation program to the American people. It is well past time to ‘rip the band aid’ and get all this information into the open so we can have true accountability and the public can judge these important issues based on the true facts, and free from distortion and spin."
