The Republican party is planning on holding a congressional inquiry into WikiLeaks as well as its founder Julian Assange following the recent release of diplomatic cables, the Guardian has reported.

WikiLeaks appears in a list of priorities for investigation by the House of Representatives’ oversight committee, published here by Politico. The Republican party reportedly takes control of the House this week.

The move is partly political, aimed at the attorney general, Eric Holder, who the Republicans claim has been too slow and too weak in reacting to the leaks.

He said last month that the justice department was looking at what action can be taken against Assange but that lawyers are struggling to find legislation under which the Australian national can be prosecuted.

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