A top House Republican says he is sending President Obama a letter disputing his use of executive privilege in the "Fast and Furious" case.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Cal., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told ABC's This Week, "there cannot be executive privilege over criminal cover-up or cover-up of crime.
"Lying to Congress is a crime," Issa added. "We have every right to see documents to say, 'did you know, when did you know, what did you know,' including even the president."
Attorneys for the Obama administration say House Republicans are not entitled to internal deliberations by officials within the executive branch.
Obama's invocation of executive privilege is one reason Issa's committee voted last week -- along party lines -- to recommend a contempt of Congress citation against Attorney General Eric Holder.
The full Republican-run House could vote as early as this week on whether to hold Holder in contempt, though both sides continue to negotiate the dispute over document production.
Issa's committee is investigating "Fast and Furious," that botched gun smuggling operation that could have led to the death of a U.S. border patrol agent.
More from ABC News:
Issa said he is specifically seeking access to a memo or email produced by Jason Weinstein, Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the Justice Department. The memo, confirmed to exist, is an evaluation of what happened during the "Fast and Furious" operation and, according to Issa, could answer crucial questions relating to his investigation.
On Wednesday, President Obama invoked executive privilege for the first time during his term in office just before a House committee headed by Issa voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for failing to provide documents related to the failed "Fast and Furious" operation that were subpoenaed more than 8 months ago. The use of executive privilege, while a rarity for the Obama administration, was used 14 times by Bill Clinton and six times by George W. Bush. ...
Guns lost in the "Fast and Furious," operation, which was originally meant to track the flow of firearms between the United States and Mexican drug cartels, were found near the scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry's killing in 2010, which sparked outrage.