Is it time for Eric Holder to step down? He has been the attorney general of the United States since President Obama appointed him, early in his first term. Holder has been both a respected and a controversial figure since he first took office. In some ways, he has been a flash point for those who disagree with the president’s policies. 

In his first presidential contest, Obama campaigned partly on closing Gauntanamo Bay. When Holder sought to transfer the prisoners to facilities in the United States, there was strong pushback. Next, Holder proposed that the prisoners be tried by civilian courts, rather than military courts. That effort ended up being abandoned after a long battle.

Holder has strong convictions about the law, and is respected by many as a reformer, with strong Justice Department credentials. He had previously served as deputy attorney general during the Clinton administration.

Holder’s reputation is at risk now because questions have arisen over his handling and approving of the subpoena of Associated Press phone records. Under oath, Holder said he was never involved in the subpoena of the AP records, yet reports later on showed he did sign off on deciding for a search warrant to tap phone and email records of James Rosen, a reporter for Fox TV.

Attorney General Holder spoke out against the IRS scandal, but defended his stand on the AP record seizures. However, conflicts in his remarks under oath have resulted in another congressional hearing. Trust in his reputation has been tarnished, regarding his oversight.

Some supporters of Holder argue that the call for resignation is largely politically motivated, and that if he were to resign, critics of President Obama would sense blood, and go after other members of the administrative team, to weaken it.

Others, including people on the left and right politically, see Holder as damaged. He is carrying a lot of freight, and is going to remain a potent target for critics. At the same time, he is one of Obama’s strongest allies, and the two seem to agree on many policies that involve legal justice.

Some of the liberals, who would like to see Holder resign, take that position because they feel that continued congressional attention to his issues will hold back the president from moving forward with other concerns. They would like to see a fresh face at the Justice Department.

Other Democrats feel that Holden should stay. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said on “Meet the Press” last Sunday that “the president has confidence in Holder and I believe he’s going to stay.”

On the other hand, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said on “Face the Nation,” that he did not know if the attorney general lied, but there were contradictions between what Holder said and what was reported later on. He questioned if Holder can serve the president of the United States and the American people under those circumstances.

Spokespersons for the administration have said that national security issues were potentially at stake, and that the reporters were taped to try to find the leak. There is real concern in the nation over this, if our nation’s security really was placed in jeopardy. 

The important question we need to deal with is not whether Holder should leave his office, but whether the federal government is using its power justifiably, or instead to target political enemies, and intimidate and silence them. If that were true, freedom of the press and citizens rights could be in jeopardy. We rely on a free press to be a watchdog over our government. 

It is likely that even if the Justice Department notified the legal department of the White House on its actions to tape these reporters and their editors, it was not passed on to the president. I believe the president did not know of these incidents. As a former  constitutional law professor and scholar, Obama would not have allowed it to happen.

Citizens want transparency and ethical behavior in our government, and trust in our leaders. Right now, Holder may have lost that trust. Even though he is a very capable person, he needs to step down, and allow the president to bring in someone free from the present scandals in Washington. Many Republicans are openly calling for Holder to resign. He is also quietly being urged to resign by some of the president’s advisors. 

It is time for Holder to step down, for the good of the country.

— Bernard Featherman is a business columnist for the Journal Tribune and former president of the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce.