Ellison: Voter Suppression is Behind Focus on Holder

Rep. Keith Ellison joined several other congressional Democrats last week in saying that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt by the House for more than just “Fast and Furious.”

The House voted June 28 to hold Holder in contempt for failing to disclose internal Justice Department documents tied to a House committee investigation into the sting operation on gun running from the United States into Mexico.

But Ellison—who walked out during the contempt vote in protest—said the move was a politically motivated response to Holder’s office’s legal challenges to voter suppression laws.

“We’re in a struggle over power,” Ellison is quoted as saying by Politic365, arguing that the efforts to impose restrictions on the vote are driven by opponents of President Obama’s election. “If we ever thought that was the end of the story, we were wrong.”

Local Delegation Seeks Tariff Breaks

Ellison, along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Erik Paulsen, recently sought relief for Minnesota businesses such as 3M and Target in the "Miscellaneous Tariff Bill."

The Star Tribune reports that this kind of lobbying is a regular occurrence in Congress, as members try to help out businesses in their home states. However, this year's bill comes amid a new ban on earmarks, and during a presidential election focused on the economy, jobs and global competition, the Star Tribune notes.

Fields Meets, Greets in Richfield on the Fourth

Chris Fields, the Republican challenger to Ellison, took to Richfield on the Fourth of July.

He tweeted the following:

Hot day for a parade in Richfield. Always fun to meet a fellow veteran. @richfieldpatch pic.twitter.com/RjBpWxPs