103 replies to this topic

[Excalibur-2112]

Issa is a shark.
The man clearly knows how to run an investigation.
Im almost half expecting to see Obama being indicted at some point given how thorough Issa is.

[AirtechJr]

"So, when does this restoration of integrity and accountability start? I'd like to circle the date on my calender".




That would be in January....







2012

[The Shocker]

In the immortal words of R. Lee Ermey "YOU GOTTA BE SHITTIN' ME!!!"

Today's newscast on Fox's Special Report with Bret B.

about the 3:05 mark of Special Report with Bret Bair. "Investigators also want surveillance tapes from Lone Wolf gun store where they suspect ATF may have been involved in a break in, and where us officials assured the owner guns he sold did not go over the border, where some officials knew they did."


So, when does this restoration of integrity and accountability start? I'd like to circle the date on my calender.

[The Shocker]

Issa waits and sees if Holder will dig himself past Perjury, to Obstruction. Make no mistake, he already has most of what he's asking for....Issa is very clever and determined.

http://blogs.ajc.com...ious-subpoenas/

"It was like a bomb droppin' on Beaver Cleaverville" Willem DaFoe

This is not going to buff out.


Fast and Furious Subpoenas
10:19 am October 12, 2011, by Jamie Dupree

House Republicans today announced that they had sent subpoenas to Attorney General Eric Holder and the Justice Department to gain more information about Operation Fast and Furious, the controversial gun-walking program that allowed weapons to go to Mexican drug gangs.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) says his Oversight Committee wants some very basic information, described below.

=

The subpoena seeks the following:

In accordance with the attached schedule instructions, you, Eric H. Holder Jr., are required to produce all records in unredacted form described below:

• All communications referring or relating to Operation Fast and Furious, the Jacob Chambers case, or any Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) firearms trafficking case based in Phoenix, Arizona, to or from the following individuals:

a. Eric Holder Jr., Attorney General;

b. David Ogden, Former Deputy Attorney General;

c. Gary Grindler, Office of the Attorney General and former Acting Deputy Attorney General;

d. James Cole, Deputy Attorney General;

e. Lanny Breuer, Assistant Attorney General;

f. Ronald Weich, Assistant Attorney General;

g. Kenneth Blanco, Deputy Assistant Attorney General;

h. Jason Weinstein, Deputy Assistant Attorney General;

i. John Keeney, Deputy Assistant Attorney General;

j. Bruce Swartz, Deputy Assistant Attorney General;

k. Matt Axelrod, Associate Deputy Attorney General;

l. Ed Siskel, former Associate Deputy Attorney General;

m. Brad Smith, Office of the Deputy Attorney General;

n. Kevin Carwile, Section Chief, Capital Case Unit, Criminal Division;

o. Joseph Cooley, Criminal Fraud Section, Criminal Division; and,

p. James Trusty, Acting Chief, Organized Crime and Gang Section.

2. All communications between and among Department of Justice (DOJ) employees and Executive Office of the President employees, including but not limited to Associate Communications Director Eric Schultz, referring or relating to Operation Fast and Furious or any other firearms trafficking cases.

3. All communications between DOJ employees and Executive Office of the President employees referring or relating to the President's March 22, 2011 interview with Jorge Ramos of Univision.

4. All documents and communications referring or relating to any instances prior to February 4, 2011 where the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) failed to interdict weapons that had been illegally purchased or transferred.

5. All documents and communications referring or relating to any instances prior to February 4, 2011 where ATF broke off surveillance of weapons and subsequently became aware that those weapons entered Mexico.

6. All documents and communications referring or relating to the murder of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agent Jaime Zapata, including but not limited to documents and communications regarding Zapata's mission when he was murdered, Form for Reporting Information That May Become Testimony (FD-302), photographs of the crime scene, and investigative reports prepared by the FBI.

7. All communications to or from William Newell, former Special Agent-in-Charge for ATF's Phoenix Field Division, between:

a. December 14, 2010 to January 25, 2011; and,

b. March 16, 2009 to March 19, 2009.

8. All Reports of Investigation (ROIs) related to Operation Fast and Furious or ATF Case Number 785115-10-0004.

9. All communications between and among Matt Axelrod, Kenneth Melson, and William Hoover referring or relating to ROIs identified pursuant to Paragraph 7.

10. All documents and communications between and among former U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke, Attorney General Eric Holder Jr., former Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary Grindler, Deputy Attorney General James Cole, Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jason Weinstein referring or relating to Operation Fast and Furious or any OCDETF case originating in Arizona.

11. All communications sent or received between:

a. December 16, 2009 and December 18, 2009, and;

b. March 9, 2011 and March 14, 2011, to or from the following individuals:

• Emory Hurley, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona;
• Michael Morrissey, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona;
• Patrick Cunningham, Chief, Criminal Division, Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona;
• David Voth, Group Supervisor, ATF; and,
• Hope MacAllister, Special Agent, ATF.

12. All communications sent or received between December 15, 2010 and December 17, 2010 to or from the following individuals in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona:

a. Dennis Burke, former United States Attorney;

b. Emory Hurley, Assistant United States Attorney;

c. Michael Morrissey, Assistant United States Attorney; and,

d. Patrick Cunningham, Chief of the Criminal Division.

13. All communications sent or received between August 7, 2009 and March 19, 2011 between and among former Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual; Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer; and, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Bruce Swartz.

14. All communications sent or received between August 7, 2009 and March 19, 2011 between and among former Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual and any Department of Justice employee based in Mexico City referring or relating to firearms trafficking initiatives, Operation Fast and Furious or any firearms trafficking case based in Arizona, or any visits by Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer to Mexico.

15. Any FD-302 relating to targets, suspects, defendants, or their associates, bosses, or financiers in the Fast and Furious investigation, including but not limited to any FD-302s ATF Special Agent Hope MacAllister provided to ATF leadership during the calendar year 2011.

16. Any investigative reports prepared by the FBI or Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) referring or relating to targets, suspects, or defendants in the Fast and Furious case.

17. Any investigative reports prepared by the FBI or DEA relating to the individuals described to Committee staff at the October 5, 2011 briefing at Justice Department headquarters as Target Number 1 and Target Number 2.

18. All documents and communications in the possession, custody or control of the DEA referring or relating to Manuel Fabian Celis-Acosta.

19. All documents and communications between and among FBI employees in Arizona and the FBI Laboratory, including but not limited to employees in the Firearms/Toolmark Unit, referring or relating to the firearms recovered during the course of the investigation of Brian Terry's death.

20. All agendas, meeting notes, meeting minutes, and follow-up reports for the Attorney General's Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys between March 1, 2009 and July 31, 2011, referring or relating to Operation Fast and Furious.

21. All weekly reports and memoranda for the Attorney General, either directly or through the Deputy Attorney General, from any employee in the Criminal Division, ATF, DEA, FBI, or the National Drug Intelligence Center created between November 1, 2009 and September 30, 2011.

22. All surveillance tapes recorded by pole cameras inside the Lone Wolf Trading Co. store between 12:00 a.m. on October 3, 2010 and 12:00 a.m. on October 7, 2010.

Attached Files

•  fiber1.jpg   122.72KB   1 downloads

[The Shocker]

Mike Detty proves, once again, that the ATF from line to HQ are NOT your friends and cannot be trusted to tell you the truth of anything.

Remember Voth getting on the phone with MacAllister and ensuring Andre Howard from Lone Wolf that "we are tracking and intercepting these guns". UTTER BULLSHIT.

Sickened.

TS

[The Original Ralph]

Looks like Mr Holder didn't appreciate a press conference turning to questions on F&F...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/T5I5Z0deBsM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

and if El Rushbo is right about the timing of the press conference, then it makes it doubly satisfying to see Mr Holder end his press conference early

http://www.theblaze....-furious-issue/

Limbaugh: Holder Using Terror Plot Presser to ‘Sidestep’ Fast & Furious Issue

Rush Limbaugh has a theory on Tuesday’s press conference announcing the U.S. foiled a massive terror plot on U.S. soil: it’s a distraction to get the media attention off Attorney General Eric Holder and his Fast and Furious gunwalking scandal.

“What a great way to sidestep the fact that he’s being delivered a subpoena for Fast and Furious,” Rush said, a reference to a report that GOP Rep. Issa is calling for more information from Holder regarding what he knew (and when) about the DOJ’s failed gunwalking program, and could send subpoenas this week.

“So here comes Holder. What nice timing; give him something to distract everybody away from Fast and Furious. That’s exactly what this is. … What great timing. … No question in my mind what Holder’s press conference is about.”

DailyRushbo has the audio. So was Rush right? Well, Holder did end the press conference immediately after a fielding one question a reporter sneaked in about Fast and Furious.

[VINCENT A CEFALU]

Check this out. Our own ATF news site is MORE than 50% derogatory towards this great Bureau. Mr. Jones has said to some, he doesn't really pay attention to CleanupATF.org. That's what Mr. Domenech, Sullivan, and Melson have said as well. I think I would start listening. We are on the same team, and I can assure Mr. Jones, some of those around him are NOT going to give him professional counsel on these matters. On the other hand, WE don't want ANYTHING but to get OUR Bureau back and catch bad-guys. Pretty simple if you ask me. God bless America, Chairman Issa, Senator Grassley, Congressmen Gosar and Smith and the members of the oversight committee. Brian Terry is dead, hundreds of Mexicans are dead and everybody involved is still drawing fat salary's and benefits. NOT IN MY LIFETIME. With all due respect to Mr. Holders service to country, he must now go. We at ATF can NEVER start to rebuild as long as we are associated with him and this current Department of Justice. Stop retaliating against those who merely told the truth. Stop blaming everybody else. MAN UP.

Issa: Holder 'Owns' Fast & Furious

Politico
Oct. 11, 2011

By Tim Mak
Politico, October 11, 2011

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) excoriated Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday over a controversial Department of Justice gun program, writing in a letter, “whether you realize yet or not, you own Fast and Furious. It is your responsibility.”

On Friday, Holder wrote to Congress denying charges that he misled lawmakers over his knowledge of Fast and Furious, asserting he only learned of the tactics of the operation in early 2011 and denouncing as “irresponsible and inflammatory” some of the Republican rhetoric that has been used to criticize him.
But Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, hit back Monday morning, writing that Holder’s letter was “deeply disappointing.”

“Instead of pledging all necessary resources to assist the congressional investigation in discovering the truth behind the fundamentally flawed Operation Fast and Furious, your letter instead did little but obfuscate, shift blame, berate, and attempt to change the topic away from the Department’s responsibility in the creation, implementation, and authorization of this reckless program,” Issa wrote.

Issa asserts the Department of Justice has been continually contradicted over its successive explanations of the nature of the operation, and then later over Holder’s involvement in Fast and Furious - first denying gunwalking occurred and then later saying the activity was limited to the Phoenix field office of the ATF; then blaming the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona; and claiming it didn’t reach the upper levels of the Justice Department and later admitting it had.

Holder and the DoJ maintain that Issa’s accusations are based on quotes taken out of context, and insist that there has been no contradiction. “My testimony was truthful and accurate and I have been consistent on this point throughout. I have no recollection of knowing about Fast and Furious or of hearing its name prior to the public controversy about it,” Holder said in his letter Friday. “Prior to early 2011, I certainly never knew about the tactics employed in the operation.”

Holder has been under fire in recent months for Fast and Furious, which was an attempt to investigate drug cartels and weapons traffickers by tracking illegally purchased guns. The mission ended in failure – investigators lost thousands of firearms, many of which crossed the border into Mexico. Weapons linked to the program were later involved in the December 2010 shooting death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, and at least one other incident of violence involving law enforcement.

Issa and other Republicans have claimed that Holder misled Congress in testimony from May 2011. Holder claimed then that he had only learned about Fast and Furious “over the last few weeks.” But memos addressed to Holder mention the Fast and Furious operation as far back as 2010, giving Republicans a window through which to attack him as having mislead Congress.

Holder has pushed back strongly on any claim he lied to Congress, writing on Friday that he can’t read every item that is sent to his office, and insisting that he was not informed about the controversial aspects of Fast and Furious until early this year.
“From the start, the Attorney General took the concerns about certain tactics used in the Fast and Furious operation seriously, which is why the first steps he took were to ask the Inspector General to investigate the matter and to ensure agents and prosecutors knew such conduct violated Department of Justice policy and would not be tolerated,” said a Department of Justice official. “These recycled allegations continue to be baseless, no matter how many times they are repeated.”

Issa, who said on Sunday he was working to issue another round of subpoenas this week, was not satisfied with the defense.

“The time has come for you to come clean to the American public about what you knew about Fast and Furious, when you knew it, and who is going to be held accountable for failing to shut down a program that has already had deadly consequences, and will likely cause more casualties for years to come,” wrote Issa.

Republicans have been increasingly aggressive about criticizing Holder over the Fast and Furious Operation. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has called for the White House to appoint a special counsel to investigate whether Holder lied to Congress.

Meanwhile, Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) suggested last week that Holder and the DoJ officials involved in Fast and Furious may have been accessories to murder. Several Republicans have also begun calling for Holder’s resignation.
 
Issa Letter Questions Holder’s ‘credibility’ To Serve

The Washington Times
Oct. 11, 2011

By Jerry Seper, The Washington Times
Washington Times, October 11, 2011

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.'s "lack of trustworthiness" in explaining what he knew about the failed "Fast and Furious" weapons investigation has "called into question his overall credibility" to serve as the nation's top prosecutor, the chairman of a House committee investigating the operation said Monday.

In a blistering letter, Rep. Darrell E. Issa, California Republican, who heads the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told Mr. Holder that it was time for him "to come clean to the American public" on what he knew and when about the weapons investigation, saying Mr. Holder has made numerous statements about the operation that have "proven to be untrue."

"The time for deflecting blame and obstructing our investigation is over," Mr. Issa wrote. "Operation Fast and Furious was the department’s most significant gun-trafficking case. It related to two of your major initiatives — destroying the Mexican [drug] cartels and reducing gun violence on both sides of the border.

"On your watch, it went spectacularly wrong. Whether you realize yet or not, you own Fast and Furious. It is your responsibility," he wrote, adding that Mr. Holder had an obligation to say who is going to be held accountable "for failing to shut down a program that has already had deadly consequences, and will likely cause more casualties for years to come."

Mr. Issa has been investigating Fast and Furious for several months with Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. The operation involved the purchase of weapons at Phoenix-area gun shops that eventually were "walked," or taken, into Mexico, where they were delivered to Mexican dug bosses.

Two of the weapons, both AK-47 assault rifles, were found at the scene of the killing of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry in December.

Mr. Issa said the Justice Department from the beginning of the probe has offered "a roving set of ever-changing explanations to justify its involvement in this reckless and deadly program."

A Justice Department spokeswoman dismissed Mr. Issa's letter Monday as "recycled" partisanship.
But Mr. Issa said Justice's defenses were aimed at undermining the congressional investigation.

The Justice Department insisted from the start that no wrongdoing had occurred and asked that he and Mr. Grassley defer their oversight responsibilities because of concerns they would interfere with an ongoing investigation by the department's Office of Inspector General, Mr. Issa said.

Additionally, he said, the department steadfastly insisted that none of the Fast and Furious guns had been "walked" into Mexico.

"Once documentary and testimonial evidence strongly contradicted these claims, the department attempted to limit the fallout from Fast and Furious to the Phoenix field division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives," he said. "When that effort also proved unsuccessful, the department next argued that Fast and Furious resided only within ATF itself, before eventually also assigning blame to the U.S. attorney’s office in Arizona.

"All of these efforts were designed to circle the wagons around [Justice] and its political appointees," he said.

Last month, Mr. Holder claimed Fast and Furious did not reach the upper levels of the Justice Department, Mr. Issa said, although documents discovered through the course of the investigation proved that "each and every one of these claims advanced by the department to be untrue."

"It appears your latest defense has reached a new low," he said, adding that Mr. Holder in a letter Friday said he was unaware of the Fast and Furious operation because his staff failed to inform him of information contained in memos that were specifically addressed to the attorney general.

"At best, this indicates negligence and incompetence in your duties as attorney general," Mr. Issa said. "At worst, it places your credibility into serious doubt.

"Instead of pledging all necessary resources to assist the congressional investigation in discovering the truth behind the fundamentally flawed Operation Fast and Furious, your letter instead did little but obfuscate, shift blame, berate and attempt to change the topic away from the department’s responsibility in the creation, implementation and authorization of this reckless program."

On Friday, Mr. Holder denied that emails sent to his office showed that he knew of the Fast and Furious operation and did nothing about it. He said public comments about the inquiry and his involvement with it had become "so base and so harmful to interests that I hope we all share" that he had to publicly address the matter.

Mr. Holder said he took "decisive action" when he learned earlier this year about Fast and Furious in ordering the Office of Inspector General to investigate the matter. He said he also overhauled the leadership at ATF and the U.S. attorney's office in Phoenix, which oversaw the investigation.
"It has become clear that the flawed tactics employed in Fast and Furious were not limited to that operation and were actually employed in an investigation conducted during the prior administration," Mr. Holder said, referring to a separate initiative known as "Operation Wide Receiver" managed by federal authorities during the George W. Bush administration.

"Regardless, those tactics should never again be adopted in any investigation," he said.

Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said the Issa allegations, no matter how many times they are repeated, continue to be "baseless." She said Mr. Holder took concerns about tactics used in Fast and Furious to the Office of Inspector General, where the operation is now under investigation.

"The department will continue to cooperate with both the inspector general and congressional investigations," she said. "In the meantime, what the American people deserve is less partisan showboating and more responsible solutions to stopping gun violence on the Southwest Border."

In the letter, Mr. Issa said documents obtained by congressional investigators show Mr. Holder was aware of Fast and Furious in the summer of 2010 at the latest, not April or May of this year as he testified. Mr. Issa said Mr. Holder was informed about the ATF investigation on at least five occasions and was told that straw buyers were responsible for the purchase of 1,500 firearms that were then supplied to Mexican drug-trafficking cartels.

"Yet, you did nothing to stop this program," Mr. Issa said. "You failed to own up to your responsibility to safeguard the American public by hiding behind" attorneys in your office, "who you now claim did not bring this information to your attention."

Mr. Issa said the "most disturbing aspect of this intransigence" is that the Justice Department "has been lying to Congress ever since the inquiry into Fast and Furious began."

"These firearms were not interdicted. They were not stopped. Your agents allowed these firearms purchases to continue, sometimes even monitoring them in person, and within days some of these weapons were being recovered in Mexico," he said.

 
Holder Has Hit New Low, Issa Charges

The Hill
Oct. 11, 2011

By Jordy Yager
The Hill, October 11, 2011

Rep. Darrell Issa rebuked Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday for his role in a botched gun-tracking operation under investigation by his congressional panel.

Issa (R-Calif.) said the attorney general’s most recent defense had “reached a new low,” and accused Holder and the Justice Department (DOJ) of trying to derail his investigation into “Operation Fast and Furious” by offering “a roving set of ever-changing explanations to justify its involvement in this reckless and deadly program.”

“All of these efforts were designed to circle the wagons around DOJ and its political appointees,” Issa, the chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wrote in scathing reply Sunday to a Friday letter from Holder in which the attorney general defended himself.

The fight over Operation Fast and Furious is a growing political problem for the Obama administration, which has seen new calls for Holder to resign.

Under the program, guns were sold to straw purchasers for Mexican drug cartels. The idea was to trace guns found at subsequent raids and crime scenes back to the firearms sold under the supervision of the operation, in hopes of dismantling the trafficking routes used by Mexican drug cartels. But to make cases against the cartels, thousands of guns were released onto the streets — and the program might have contributed to the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

Holder has said he only recently learned of the program, but Issa pointed to detailed correspondence that he said suggests two senior Justice Department (DOJ) officials knew of the controversial methods used under Operation Fast and Furious.

Issa offered two instances in which DOJ’s former acting deputy director, Gary Grindler — who now serves as Holder’s chief of staff — and the assistant attorney general for DOJ’s criminal division, Lanny Breuer, were made aware of the gun “walking” methods.

He then suggested that either Holder was told about the tactics, and had lied to Congress; or he was not told about the tactics, and is running his agency incompetently.

“Incredibly, in your letter from Friday you now claim that you were unaware of Fast and Furious because your staff failed to inform you of information contained in memos that were specifically addressed to you,” Issa wrote in his letter, sent to Holder on Sunday but publicly released on Monday.

“At best, this indicates negligence and incompetence in your duties as attorney general. At worst, it places your credibility in serious doubt.”

Issa, who wants Holder to testify again to Congress on the issue, wrote that Holder’s letter “did little but obfuscate, shift blame, berate and attempt to change the topic away from the department’s responsibility in the creation, implementation and authorization” of Fast and Furious.

He said Holder’s letter called into question his ability to serve the American people as attorney general.
“It appears your latest defense has reached a new low,” he wrote.

The letter follows Issa’s weekend announcement that he will subpoena Justice for new documents related to department officials' involvement in authorizing the operation, which was launched by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in 2009.

Holder wrote to congressional leaders after enduring a fusillade of criticism last week from Republicans — including calls for his resignation, accusations that he was trying to devise a cover-up and a statement that he was an accessory to murder. Holder wrote that the most recent congressional reaction to the controversy was “irresponsible.”

“I cannot sit idly by as a majority member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform suggests, as happened this week, that law enforcement and government employees who devote their lives to protecting our citizens be considered ‘accessories to murder,’ ” wrote Holder.

“Such irresponsible and inflammatory rhetoric must be repudiated in the strongest possible terms.”
Internal DOJ memos released last week show that Holder was notified of the existence of the operation as early as last year. Holder testified in May before the House Judiciary Committee that he did not know about the operation until recently. The White House and DOJ said Holder’s testimony was “truthful and accurate” and that the attorney general was referencing the time period when he was made aware of the controversial tactics used in the operation.

Soon after congressional lawmakers, led by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), raised the issue with Holder in letters requesting documents about the operation earlier this year, he called on the DOJ’s inspector general to launch an investigation into the matter, which it is in the process of completing.

In Sunday’s letter, Issa pointed to Grindler, Holder’s chief of staff and the former acting deputy attorney general, in arguing that senior DOJ officials knew about Fast and Furious and the tactics it employed as early as last year.

In March 2010, Grindler was made aware of the operation’s gun sales to a suspected straw buyer who lived on food stamps, according to Issa’s letter. The buyer paid for more than 700 guns with cash, and Grindler did nothing to stop the operation, said Issa.

Issa said that Grindler either told Holder about the operation and its tactics, or he did not. If he did tell Holder, then the attorney general was not being truthful when he told Congress that he was only made recently aware of the operation. If Grindler did not tell Holder, then it would be considered a “dereliction of his duties.”

Issa concludes that Grindler must have told Holder because he was not fired for “dereliction” and was instead given his current job as Holder’s chief of staff.
 
Top Republican Rips Holder's Handling Of 'Fast And Furious' Investigation

CNN
Oct. 11, 2011

CNN, October 11, 2011

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A top House Republican charged with investigating a now-discredited federal gunrunning operation has accused Attorney General Eric Holder of actively obstructing Congress' oversight function and damaging his own credibility as a top national law enforcement officer.

In a letter to Holder publicly released Monday, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-California, said the attorney general has made "numerous statements" about Operation Fast and Furious that "have eventually been proven to be untrue."

Issa indicated in an interview over the weekend on "Fox News Sunday" that he could issue subpoenas related to the politically sensitive matter to the Justice Department as soon as this week.

"The time for deflecting blame and obstructing our investigation is over," Issa wrote in the letter, which was dated Sunday. "The time has come for you to come clean to the American public about what you knew about Fast and Furious, when you knew it, and who is going to be held accountable for failing to shut down a program that has already had deadly consequences, and will likely cause more casualties for years to come."

Issa blasted Holder for "negligence and incompetence" on the issue, and for offering a "roving set of ever-changing explanations" designed primarily to "circle the wagons around (the Justice Department) and its political appointees."

The operation was the Justice Department's "most significant gun trafficking case," Issa said. "On your watch, it went spectacularly wrong. Whether you realize yet or not, you own Fast and Furious. It is your responsibility."

Operation Fast and Furious involved agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allowing illegal sales of guns believed to be destined for Mexican drug cartels to "walk" from Phoenix, Arizona, gun stores into Mexico.

The idea was to track the sellers and purchasers of guns to Mexican cartels, but the program became mired in controversy after weapons found at Mexican and American murder scenes were traced back to the program. Mexican officials and critics in the United States called the program a failure, saying it exacerbated the longstanding problem of U.S. weapons getting into the hands of the violent Mexican cartels.

Holder testified before the Judiciary Committee in May that he had known about the Fast and Furious program for just a few weeks. Republicans insist recently released Justice Department documents show the attorney general actually knew about the program much earlier.

Holder and his aides continue to vehemently deny that charge.

The attorney general responded angrily Friday to GOP critics of his handling of the operation, charging them with using "irresponsible and inflammatory rhetoric."

"I simply cannot sit idly by as a (Republican) member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform suggests, as happened this week, that law enforcement and government employees who devote their lives to protecting our citizens be considered 'accessories to murder,'" Holder said in a letter to members of Congress.

Such rhetoric, Holder declared, "must be repudiated in the strongest possible terms."

Asked for a reaction to Issa's letter, DOJ spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said Monday that "these recycled allegations continue to be baseless, no matter how many times they are repeated."

The Justice Department will cooperate with congressional investigations, but "what the American people deserve is less partisan showboating and more responsible solutions to stopping gun violence on the southwest border," the official said.

On Sunday, Issa said the Judiciary Committee has invited Holder to "come and clear the record."
"Clearly, he knew when he said he didn't know," Issa said. "Now the question is what did he know and how is he going to explain why he gave that answer."

CNN's Alan Silverleib and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.

 
Darrell Issa To Eric Holder: “You Own Fast And Furious”

The Houston Chronicle
Oct. 11, 2011

By Puneet Kollipara
Houston Chronicle, October 11, 2011

A key House Republican characterized Operation Fast and Furious as the full responsibility of Attorney General Eric Holder, in shooting back at the embattled Justice Department chief’s claim he told the truth to Congress about his knowledge of the botched gun-tracking program.

“Whether you realize yet or not, you own Fast and Furious,” Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wrote to Holder in a letter released today. “It is your responsibility.”

Issa wants Holder to return to Congress to give sworn testimony because he is frustrated with what he called “a roving set of ever-changing explanations to justify [the Justice Department's] involvement in this reckless and deadly program.” Issa, whose committee is investigating Fast and Furious, has already said he plans to subpoena Holder and top Justice Department officials to come back to Capitol Hill to tell lawmakers what they knew about the operation and when they found out.

Fast and Furious, a joint operation run from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives office in Phoenix, sought to let illegally bought guns “walk” across the border so agents could trace the weapons to Mexican drug cartel kingpins. Of 1,400 guns agents lost track of, two were found at the scene of the December murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

The oversight chairman was responding to a letter on Friday in which Holder defended telling Congress under oath in May he found out about Fast and Furious a few weeks earlier. It was his first public defense after the release of memos that were sent to him in July 2010 describing the operation by name. Some Republicans, including Texas Reps. Ted Poe and Lamar Smith, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, have called for a special counsel to look into whether Holder misled Congress.

“Your lack of trustworthiness while speaking about Fast and Furious has called into question your overall credibility,” Issa wrote. “The time for deflecting blame and obstructing our investigation is over.”

Holder said Friday his office receives hundreds of memos, and they are only passed on to him if the staffers who read them deem it necessary. “No issues regarding Fast and Furious were brought to my attention because the information presented in the reports did not suggest a problem,” Holder wrote.
The attorney general added that he could not “sit idly by” as Issa and other Republicans accused law enforcement officials of being accessories to murder. Issa has referred to Fast and Furious as a “felony stupid program.”

Calling Holder’s letter to Congress “deeply disappointing,” Issa said it “did little but obfuscate, shift blame, berate, and attempt to change the topic away from the Department’s responsibility in the creation, implementation, and authorization of this reckless program.”

Issa accused Justice Department officials of “lying to Congress ever since the inquiry into Fast and Furious began.” He said a claim made by a top department official in February that ATF makes every effort to interdict weapons purchased illegally turned out to be “a flat-out lie.”

Holder also lied when he said in early September that senior Justice Department officials didn’t know about the operation, Issa charged. Lanny Breuer and Gary Grindler, two top Justice Department officials, knew a “simply astounding” amount of detail about the operation, learning about it as early as March 2010.

Tracy Schmaler, a Justice Department spokeswoman, described Issa’s allegations as “baseless, no matter how many times they are repeated.” Holder took the tactics used in Fast and Furious seriously from the start, Schmaler said, “which is why the first steps he took were to ask the Inspector General to investigate the matter and to ensure agents and prosecutors knew such conduct violated Department of Justice policy and would not be tolerated.”

The department will continue cooperating with congressional investigators, Schmaler added.

“In the meantime, what the American people deserve is less partisan showboating and more responsible solutions to stopping gun violence on the Southwest Border,” she said.

ATF’s then-Acting Director, Kenneth Melson, told congressional investigators over the summer his stomach was “in knots” after he learned the details of the operation. Melson has since left his post and taken a new advisory position in the department. Phoenix U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke also resigned. The new ATF acting director, B. Todd Jones, has reshuffled the agency by reassigning 11 top officials.
If Obama administration officials familiar with the operation didn’t alert Holder and his staffers didn’t bring the memos to his attention, Issa said, “at best, this indicates negligence and incompetence in your duties as Attorney General. At worst, it places your credibility into serious doubt.”

 
Issa Responds to Holder Letter With Matching Gusto

Fox News
Oct. 10, 2011

By Mike Levine
Published October 10, 2011
FoxNews.com

Despite a federal holiday, the lawmaker leading a congressional investigation into "Operation Fast and Furious" launched his latest salvo Monday against Attorney General Eric Holder, insisting it's time for the nation's top cop to "come clean to the American public about what you knew, when you knew it, and who is going to be held accountable."

"Whether you realize yet or not, you own 'Fast and Furious,'" Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said in a letter to Holder. "It is your responsibility."

The reply comes three days after Holder responded in his own letter to questions over whether he misled Congress in May when he told lawmakers he "probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks."

A week ago, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, distributed five memos from July and August 2010 addressed to Holder, citing the gun-running investigation by name.

In his letter Friday, Holder said his remarks on "Fast and Furious" have been "truthful and accurate," adding, "I have no recollection of knowing about 'Fast and Furious' or of hearing its name prior to the public controversy about it. ... Prior to early 2011, I certainly never knew about the tactics employed in the operation."

But Issa insisted in his latest response that "the current paper trail ... creates the strong perception that your statement in front of Congress was less than truthful." The chairman laid out a series of instances that he said shows high-level knowledge of "Fast and Furious."

The broader back-and-forth focuses on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigation in Arizona targeting major gun-runners. Launched in late 2009, the investigation planned to follow gun purchasers in hopes that suspects would lead them to the heads of Mexican cartels. But high-powered weapons tied to the investigation ended up at crime scenes in Mexico and the United States, including the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry late last year.

In his letter Monday, Issa cited several documents and briefings of Justice Department officials that referenced large purchases of weapons by suspects. Such newly disclosed documents, Issa said, "directly contradict" Holder's insistence that "Fast and Furious" did not reach into the upper levels of the Justice Department.

"Your staff ... was certainly aware of 'Fast and Furious' over a year ago," Issa wrote, without citing any documents or briefings where controversial tactics were specifically mentioned.

"Gary Grindler, the then-Deputy Attorney General and currently your chief of staff, received an extremely detailed briefing on 'Operation Fast and Furious' on March 12, 2010," Issa said in his letter. "In this briefing, Grindler learned such minutiae as the number of times that Uriel Patino, a straw purchaser on food stamps who ultimately acquired 720 firearms, went in to a cooperating gun store and the amount of guns that he had bought. When former Acting ATF Director Ken Melson, a career federal prosecutor, learned similar information, he became sick to his stomach."

According to the Justice Department, however, Melson is the one who briefed Grindler, and, according to Issa, it was not until months later Melson learned of the tactics that made him "sick to his stomach."

In fact, Grindler's heavily redacted notes from the briefing reference "Fast and Furious" by name, multiple weapons sales and "seizures in Mexico," but the publicly disclosed portions of the briefing and Grindler's notes do not reference the controversial tactics known as "gun-walking."

In his letter Friday, Holder said Grindler's briefing was "much like" presentations given to others in 2010, including one briefing to Issa in April 2010.

"(Grindler's briefing) did not reveal the problematic investigative tactics that were apparently being used that allowed guns to cross the border into Mexico," Holder wrote. "Indeed, as both the former U.S. attorney in Arizona and the former acting director of ATF have made clear, they did not themselves know the operational details and did not brief Justice officials on them."

Issa, meanwhile, wasn't convinced, insisting there was "widespread knowledge" within the Justice Department's "senior ranks" that "gun-walking" was "occurring." He said Holder, with his letter Friday, tried to "shift blame" and "hide behind" his staff "for failing to inform you about 'Operation Fast and Furious' when they reviewed the memos sent to you last summer."

"It simply is not believable that you were not briefed on 'Fast and Furious' until a few weeks before your testimony," Issa told Holder on Monday. "At the very least, you should have known about Fast and Furious well before then.

According to Holder, such statements "mischaracterize the process by which I receive information concerning the activities of the department's many components."

He said his office typically receives more than 100 pages of "so-called 'weekly reports' that, while addressed to me, actually are provided to and reviewed by" his staff and the deputy attorney general's staff. He said he does not "and cannot read them cover-to-cover."

"Please note that none of these summaries (recently disclosed) say anything about the unacceptable tactics employed by ATF," he wrote. And, he said, "No issues concerning Fast and Furious were brought to my attention because the information presented in the reports did not suggest a problem."

A Justice Department spokesman added Monday that Issa's allegations are "recycled" and "baseless."

"The department will continue to cooperate with both the inspector general and congressional investigations. In the meantime, what the American people deserve is less partisan showboating and more responsible solutions to stopping gun violence on the Southwest border," the spokeswoman said.

For Issa, Holder's latest defense is part of what he called "a roving set of ever-changing explanations to justify (the Justice Department's) involvement in this reckless and deadly program."

"Your letter ... did little but obfuscate, shift blame, berate, and attempt to change the topic away from the department's responsibility in the creation, implementation, and authorization of this reckless program," Issa wrote. "You claim that, after months of silence, you 'must now address these issues' over Fast and Furious because of the harmful discourse of the past few days. Yet, the only major development of these past few days has been the release of multiple documents showing that you and your senior staff had been briefed, on numerous occasions, about 'Fast and Furious.'"

Issa also said the Justice Department's cooperation with his investigation "has been minimal," adding that many of the documents provided have been "duplicative" and heavily redacted.

Appearing on "Fox News Sunday" over the weekend, Issa confirmed he will be sending a new set of subpoenas to the Justice Department, seeking further information.

In addition to the congressional investigation being led by Issa and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, is calling for a special counsel to look into the matter.

whoops - didn't mean the post as a discouragement to vince - more of a commentary on the state of integrity dominant inside the washington beltway. It will take vince's shouting and congress hearing it, so they'll use that procedural "taser" they have in their tool box.

[The Original Ralph]

"Vince, respectfully, you might as well be shouting into a hurricane" says The Original Ralph.



Vince, hurricane notwithstanding, please keep on shouting!!!

Ralph, don't get discouraged buddy, today really is a new day and more people are listening now than ever before. They can only win when we all give up. Besides, Vince needs to spew at the powers that be, it gives the rest of us a break and he gets his exercise.

whoops - didn't mean the post as a discouragement to vince - more of a commentary on the state of integrity dominant inside the washington beltway. It will take vince's shouting and congress hearing it, so they'll use that procedural "taser" they have in their tool box.

[Retired and loving it]

"Vince, respectfully, you might as well be shouting into a hurricane" says The Original Ralph.



Vince, hurricane notwithstanding, please keep on shouting!!!

[The Original Ralph]

Mr. Holder,

We have spent our lives taking responsibility and enforcing the law. I for one am extremely ashamed that you refuse to do so. YOU ARE THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. Now (notwithstanding the political grandstanding by both sides that may be occurring)(and please stop playing the American people for idiots, they are NOT and they do care and they do pay attention), you personally have cost us our credibility. Stop throwing your subordinates under the bus. Stand up like SO MANY ATF Agents have done and act like a leader. Our credibility is all we have to go with the Badge and gun. Remove, DON'T re-assign the ATF leadership. Tell the truth. UN-redact the documents. That's defense attorney conduct. WE WEAR THE WHITE HATS, WE DON'T HIDE BEHIND LEGAL WRANGLING. You don't have to LIKE Chairman Issa and Sen. Grassley, but you DO have to respect and comply with them. REMEMBER WHY WE HAVE A SEPARATION OF POWERS? If not, its in the CONSTITUTION.

Vince, respectfully, you might as well be shouting into a hurricane. You're talking to a crowd that operates under the mantra "the ends justifies the means". Combine that with the Rahm Emmanuel dictum that "a crisis too good to be allowed to go to waste" and you get the next logical step of creating crises for the opportunities they'll offer. Honor and dignity are not defined by the same standards that you and most folks define them by. "Honor" belongs, in their mind, to the last man standing, and if they aren't the last man standing, then the dishonor is in having lost, not in the conduct that led them into the battle. I think i saw it best expressed by one pundit as this is the crowd that worships at the Church of It's Okay When We Do It.

You and the other agents that blew the cover on this have a lot to be proud of, but the reality is, these are sad times we're living in.

I don't doubt for a second there was none of the above you didn't already know, i think i just needed to rant.

[fudimo]

I can't wait to see the one with Holder responding to Issa's letter that was released today.

[VINCENT A CEFALU]

Mr. Holder,

We have spent our lives taking responsibility and enforcing the law. I for one am extremely ashamed that you refuse to do so. YOU ARE THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. Now (notwithstanding the political grandstanding by both sides that may be occurring)(and please stop playing the American people for idiots, they are NOT and they do care and they do pay attention), you personally have cost us our credibility. Stop throwing your subordinates under the bus. Stand up like SO MANY ATF Agents have done and act like a leader. Our credibility is all we have to go with the Badge and gun. Remove, DON'T re-assign the ATF leadership. Tell the truth. UN-redact the documents. That's defense attorney conduct. WE WEAR THE WHITE HATS, WE DON'T HIDE BEHIND LEGAL WRANGLING. You don't have to LIKE Chairman Issa and Sen. Grassley, but you DO have to respect and comply with them. REMEMBER WHY WE HAVE A SEPARATION OF POWERS? If not, its in the CONSTITUTION.

looks like Issa just threw the guantlet down on Holder and gave him a little "b--ch slapping" -

Below is the letter that notifies Holder that his defenses have been overrun. From Becca Watkins at the Issa Committee I just received this transcript of a letter by Congressman Issa responding to Holder's whiny jeremiad of last Friday.

The language in this letter, for DC, is "unprecedented," according to one DC source I just read it to over the phone. It announces that the battle for Holder Ridge is over, no matter what desperate forced optimism the White House may yet cling to.

Another source, one with whom I made a $50 bet that Holder would be out of office by Christmas, now admits that he may not last until Thanksgiving. "Feldmarschall Holder ist kaput!" he laughed. He is not disconsolate about the prospect of losing the fifty bucks.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

[EXCERPT: Full Letter Posted Below]
Issa to Holder: “You Own Fast and Furious”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa today sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder responding to his letter of October 7. The text of Chairman Issa’s letter to Attorney General Holder is below:

Dear Attorney General Holder:

From the beginning of the congressional investigation into Operation Fast and Furious, the Department of Justice has offered a roving set of ever-changing explanations to justify its involvement in this reckless and deadly program.

[The Original Ralph]

below taken from Sipsy Street Irregulars
http://sipseystreeti...run-holder.html


Looks like Issa just threw the gauntlet down on Holder and gave him a little "b--ch slapping". Below is the letter that notifies Holder that his defenses have been overrun. From Becca Watkins at the Issa Committee I just received this transcript of a letter by Congressman Issa responding to Holder's whiny jeremiad of last Friday.

The language in this letter, for DC, is "unprecedented," according to one DC source I just read it to over the phone. It announces that the battle for Holder Ridge is over, no matter what desperate forced optimism the White House may yet cling to.

Another source, one with whom I made a $50 bet that Holder would be out of office by Christmas, now admits that he may not last until Thanksgiving. "Feldmarschall Holder ist kaput!" he laughed. He is not disconsolate about the prospect of losing the fifty bucks.

==================================================================

Issa to Holder: “You Own Fast and Furious”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa today sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder responding to his letter of October 7. The text of Chairman Issa’s letter to Attorney General Holder is below:

Dear Attorney General Holder:

From the beginning of the congressional investigation into Operation Fast and Furious, the Department of Justice has offered a roving set of ever-changing explanations to justify its involvement in this reckless and deadly program. These defenses have been aimed at undermining the investigation. From the start, the Department insisted that no wrongdoing had occurred and asked Senator Grassley and me to defer our oversight responsibilities over its concerns about our purported interference with its ongoing criminal investigations. Additionally, the Department steadfastly insisted that gunwalking did not occur.

Once documentary and testimonial evidence strongly contradicted these claims, the Department attempted to limit the fallout from Fast and Furious to the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). When that effort also proved unsuccessful, the Department next argued that Fast and Furious resided only within ATF itself, before eventually also assigning blame to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona. All of these efforts were designed to circle the wagons around DOJ and its political appointees.

To that end, just last month, you claimed that Fast and Furious did not reach the upper levels of the Justice Department. Documents discovered through the course of the investigation, however, have proved each and every one of these claims advanced by the Department to be untrue. It appears your latest defense has reached a new low. Incredibly, in your letter from Friday you now claim that you were unaware of Fast and Furious because your staff failed to inform you of information contained in memos that were specifically addressed to you. At best, this indicates negligence and incompetence in your duties as Attorney General. At worst, it places your credibility into serious doubt.

Following the Committee’s issuance of a subpoena over six months ago, I strongly believed that the Department would fully cooperate with Congress and support this investigation with all the means at its disposal. The American people deserve no less. Unfortunately, the Department’s cooperation to date has been minimal. Hundreds of pages of documents that have been produced to my Committee are duplicative, and hundreds more contain substantial redactions, rendering them virtually worthless. The Department has actively engaged in retaliation against multiple whistleblowers, and has, on numerous occasions, attempted to disseminate false and misleading information to the press in an attempt to discredit this investigation.

Your letter dated October 7 is deeply disappointing. Instead of pledging all necessary resources to assist the congressional investigation in discovering the truth behind the fundamentally flawed Operation Fast and Furious, your letter instead did little but obfuscate, shift blame, berate, and attempt to change the topic away from the Department’s responsibility in the creation, implementation, and authorization of this reckless program. You claim that, after months of silence, you “must now address these issues” over Fast and Furious because of the harmful discourse of the past few days. Yet, the only major development of these past few days has been the release of multiple documents showing that you and your senior staff had been briefed, on numerous occasions, about Fast and Furious.

The Mexican Cartels

A month after you became Attorney General, you spoke of the danger of the Mexican drug cartels, and the Sinaloa cartel in particular. The cartels, you said, “are lucrative, they are violent, and they are operated with stunning planning and precision.” You promised that under your leadership “these cartels will be destroyed.” You vowed that the Department of Justice would “continue to work with [its] counterparts in Mexico, through information sharing, training and mutual cooperation to jointly fight these cartels, both in Mexico and the United States.”

Under your leadership, however, Operation Fast and Furious has proven these promises hollow. According to one agent, Operation Fast and Furious “armed the cartel. It is disgusting.” Fast and Furious simply served as a convenient means for dangerous cartels to acquire upwards of 2,000 assault-style weapons. On top of that, the Government of Mexico was not informed about Fast and Furious. In fact, DOJ and ATF officials actively engaged in hiding information about Fast and Furious from not only Mexican officials, but also U.S. law enforcement officials operating in Mexico for fear that they would inform their Mexican counterparts. This strategy is inapposite and contradicts the promises you made to the American people.

Your September 7, 2011 Statement

On September 7, 2011, you said that “[t]he notion that [Fast and Furious] reaches into the upper levels of the Justice Department is something that at this point I don't think is supported by the facts and I think once we examine it and once the facts are revealed we'll see that's not the case.” Unfortunately, the facts directly contradict this statement.

Lanny Breuer, the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, clearly a member of the Department’s senior leadership, knew about Fast and Furious as early as March 2010. In fact, I have learned that the amount of detail shared with Breuer’s top deputies about Fast and Furious is simply astounding.

For example, Manuel Celis-Acosta was the “biggest fish” of the straw purchasing ring in Phoenix. From the time the investigation started in September 2009 until March 15, 2010, Manuel Celis-Acosta acquired at least 852 firearms valued at around $500,000 through straw purchasers. Yet in 2009, Celis-Acosta reported an Arizona taxable income of only $15,475. Between September 2009 and late January 2010, 139 of these firearms were recovered, 81 in Mexico alone. Some of these firearms were recovered less than 24 hours after they were bought.

This information, and hundreds of pages worth of additional information, was included in highly detailed wiretap applications sent for authorization to Breuer’s top deputies. It is my understanding, the Department applied to the United States District Court for the District of Arizona for numerous wire taps from March 2010 to July 2010. These wire tap applications were reviewed and approved by several Deputy Assistant Attorney Generals, including Kenneth A. Blanco, John C. Keeney, and Jason M. Weinstein. Breuer’s top deputies approved these wiretap applications to be used against individuals associated with the known drug cartels. As I understand it, the wire tap applications contain rich detail of the reckless operational tactics being employed by your agents in Phoenix. Although Breuer and his top deputies were informed of the operational details and tactics of Fast and Furious, they did nothing to stop the program. In fact, on a trip to Mexico Breuer trumpeted Fast and Furious as a promising investigation.

Gary Grindler, the then-Deputy Attorney General and currently your Chief of Staff, received an extremely detailed briefing on Operation Fast and Furious on March 12, 2010. In this briefing, Grindler learned such minutiae as the number of times that Uriel Patino, a straw purchaser on food stamps who ultimately acquired 720 firearms, went in to a cooperating gun store and the amount of guns that he had bought. When former Acting ATF Director Ken Melson, a career federal prosecutor, learned similar information, he became sick to his stomach:

I had pulled out all Patino's -- and ROIs is, I'm sorry, report of investigation -- and you know, my stomach being in knots reading the number of times he went in and the amount of guns that he bought. Transcribed interview of Acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson at 42.

At the time of his briefing in March of last year, Grindler knew that Patino had purchased 313 weapons and paid for all of them in cash. Unlike Melson, Grindler clearly saw nothing wrong with this. If Grindler had had the sense to shut this investigation down right then, he could have prevented the purchase of an additional 407 weapons by Patino alone. Instead, Grindler did nothing to stop the program.

Following this briefing, it is clear that Grindler did one of two things. Either, he alerted you to the name and operational details of Fast and Furious, in which case your May 3, 2011 testimony in front of Congress was false; or, he failed to inform you of the name and the operational details of Fast and Furious, in which case Grindler engaged in gross dereliction of his duties as Acting Deputy Attorney General. It is fair to infer from the fact that Grindler remains as your Chief of Staff that he did not engage in gross dereliction of his duties and told you about the program as far back as March of 2010.

In the summer of 2010, at the latest, you were undoubtedly informed about Fast and Furious. On at least five occasions you were told of the connection between Fast and Furious and a specific Mexican cartel – the very cartel that you had vowed to destroy. You were informed that Manuel Celis-Acosta and his straw purchasers were responsible for the purchase of 1,500 firearms that were then supplied to Mexican drug trafficking cartels. Yet, you did nothing to stop this program.

You failed to own up to your responsibility to safeguard the American public by hiding behind “[a]ttorneys in [your] office and the Office of the Deputy Attorney General,” who you now claim did not bring this information to your attention. Holder Letter, supra note 1. As a result of your failure to act on these memos sent to you, nearly 500 additional firearms were purchased under Fast and Furious.

The facts simply do not support any claim that Fast and Furious did not reach the highest levels of the Justice Department. Actually, Fast and Furious did reach the ultimate authority in the Department – you.

Your May 3, 2011 Statement

On May 3, 2011, I asked you directly when you first knew about the operation known as Fast and Furious. You responded directly, and to the point, that you weren’t “sure of the exact date, but [you] probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks.” This statement, made before Congress, has proven to be patently untrue. Documents released by the Department just last week showed that you received at least seven memos about Fast and Furious starting as early as July 2010.

In your letter Friday, you blamed your staff for failing to inform you about Operation Fast and Furious when they reviewed the memos sent to you last summer. Your staff, therefore, was certainly aware of Fast and Furious over a year ago. Lanny Breuer was aware of Fast and Furious as early as March 2010, and Gary Grindler was also aware of Fast and Furious as early as March 2010. Given this frequency of high level involvement with Fast and Furious as much as a year prior to your May 3, 2011 testimony, it simply is not believable that you were not briefed on Fast and Furious until a few weeks before your testimony. At the very least, you should have known about Fast and Furious well before then. The current paper trail, which will only grow more robust as additional documents are discovered, creates the strong perception that your statement in front of Congress was less than truthful.

The February 4, 2011 Letter

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this intransigence is that the Department of Justice has been lying to Congress ever since the inquiry into Fast and Furious began. On February 4, 2011, Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich wrote that “ATF makes every effort to interdict weapons that have been purchased illegally and prevent their transport into Mexico.” This letter, vetted by both the senior ranks of ATF as well as the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, is a flat-out lie.

As we understand it, in March 2010, top deputies to Lanny Breuer were informed that law enforcement officers intercepted calls that demonstrated that Manuel Celis-Acosta was conspiring to purchase and transport firearms for the purpose of trafficking the firearms from the United States into Mexico. Not only was ATF aware of this information, but so was the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This information was shared with the Criminal Division. All of these organizations are components of the Department of Justice, and they were all aware of the illegal purchase of firearms and their eventual transportation into Mexico.

These firearms were not interdicted. They were not stopped. Your agents allowed these firearms purchases to continue, sometimes even monitoring them in person, and within days some of these weapons were being recovered in Mexico. Despite widespread knowledge within its senior ranks that this practice was occurring, when asked on numerous occasions about the veracity of this letter, the Department has shockingly continued to stand by its false statement of February 4, 2011.

Mr. Attorney General, you have made numerous statements about Fast and Furious that have eventually been proven to be untrue. Your lack of trustworthiness while speaking about Fast and Furious has called into question your overall credibility as Attorney General. The time for deflecting blame and obstructing our investigation is over. The time has come for you to come clean to the American public about what you knew about Fast and Furious, when you knew it, and who is going to be held accountable for failing to shut down a program that has already had deadly consequences, and will likely cause more casualties for years to come.

Operation Fast and Furious was the Department’s most significant gun trafficking case. It related to two of your major initiatives – destroying the Mexican cartels and reducing gun violence on both sides of the border. On your watch, it went spectacularly wrong. Whether you realize yet or not, you own Fast and Furious. It is your responsibility.

Sincerely,

Darrell Issa
Chairman

[avatar]

A number of guns have been recovered at crime scenes in Mexico, and two of the guns were found at the scene where Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was shot to death in southern Arizona on Dec. 14. It remains unclear whether the fatal bullet came from one of those weapons.

That incident led Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) to comment: "We're talking about consequences of criminal activity, where we actually allowed guns to walk into the hands of criminals. . . . When you facilitate that and a murder or a felony occurs, you're called an accessory."

Holder said Friday that "such irresponsible and inflammatory rhetoric must be repudiated in the strongest possible terms."

Source: quoted from "Holder decries 'inflammatory rhetoric' over botched gun sting," by Amanda Lee Myers and Peter Yost. The Washington Post, October 8, 2011, page A5.

Sandy, I think the below is what you're looking for, an interview (about 15 minutes, in much detail), in which the bottom line of the Gunwalker inquiry (not stopping with Holder, and instead proceeding to determine who authorized Fast & Furious) is described to Chris Wallace of Fox News by Chairman Issa:

http://www.examiner....d-the-doj-video

It is also on YouTube at

[avatar]

Copied from Sipsey Street Irregulars, at http://sipseystreeti...s.blogspot.com/

Bad Gunwalker news in the Fuhrerbunker. Shield your keyboards, boys and girls, for Hitler has found out that CBS is covering Fast & Furious. "Bloggers don't matter. Now if CBS reported it, we'd be in trouble."

A deep genuflection and tip of the boonie hat to Citizen Irregular R. who forwarded this link to us from the Belmont Club.

Make it go viral!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.c...ed/-YtBxoQEkZ0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

"As long as that idiot Holder doesn't do anything stupid. Like commit perjury. But even he couldn't be that stupid."

----------------------------------

First comment on the YouTube video link:

"Tyrants from Hitler to Mao to Stalin have sought to disarm their own citizens, for the simple reason that unarmed people are easier to control. Our Founders, having just expelled the British army, knew that the right to bear arms serves as the guardian of every other right."

- Ron Paul, June 26, 2006

[avatar]

Attorney General Holder is putting this out there now as a strategy to make Fast & Furious about him (it didn't work to try and make it stop at Acting Director Melson), and he's going to hold out --- ha! --- as long as possible. They gave up Melson's Ridge, because Melson prematurely surrendered like a friggin' French General. But now they're willing to give up Holder's Ridge to protect the White House and the Department of State. Yes, the Attorney General is expendable -- and they want it to stop with Holder. Unless President Obama refuses to admit Stalingrad is lost (think Obama cannot admit that he was wrong by appointing Holder, and he won't desert his Field Marshal).

The White House is willing to surrender Holder's Ridge to win, but I doubt that will be significant in the grand scheme of things. These guys think in very convoluted ways unlike the rest of us.

[Bulletman]

Press Release today from Senator Grassley:

For Immediate Release

Thursday, October 6, 2011



Attorney General Holder Received at Least Five Memos on Fast and Furious



WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley and Congressman Darrell Issa today said that Attorney General Eric Holder received at least five weekly memos beginning in July 2010, including four weeks in a row, describing the ill-advised strategy known as Operation Fast and Furious. The memos were to Holder from Michael Walther, the director of the National Drug Intelligence Center.



The Attorney General told Issa during a House Judiciary Committee in May 2011 that he had just learned of Fast and Furious a few weeks before. Yet, on January 31, in a previously scheduled meeting, Grassley personally handed him two letters about Fast and Furious. Grassley and Issa said they find it very troubling that Holder actually knew of Operation Fast and Furious much earlier, and in greater detail than he ever let on.



The memos specifically said that the straw buyers were “responsible for the purchase of 1500 firearms that were then supplied to Mexican drug trafficking cartels.”



“With the fairly detailed information that the Attorney General read, it seems the logical question for the Attorney General after reading in the memo would be “why haven’t we stopped them?” Grassley said. “And if he didn’t ask the questions, why didn’t he or somebody in his office?”



“Attorney General Holder has failed to give Congress and the American people an honest account of what he and other senior Justice Department officials knew about gunwalking and Operation Fast and Furious. The lack of candor and honesty from our nation’s chief law enforcement officials in this matter is deeply disturbing,” Issa said.



Grassley and Issa have been leading the investigation into who approved the strategy to allow guns to be purchased by known straw buyers who then often transferred the firearms to Mexican Drug Cartels.



The memos can be found here.

[The Original Ralph]

The below is part of an article that appeared in the Bloomberg Business Week on 10/06/2011.

"At the ATF briefing, Jones confirmed the outlines of a separate ATF operation that took place during the Bush administration and used the same controversial gun-walking tactic that Operation Fast and Furious employed.

Jones said Operation Wide Receiver began in 2006, lasted about a year and that the Justice Department under the Obama administration decided to prosecute eight or nine people in the case."

so now we have two reports on the same operation but the question still remains - did they intentionally allow guns to "walk" - the report i posted indicated guns did walk, but unintentionally because of botched efforts (whether mis-installed RFID devices) or because the suspects figured out or were aware of the aerial surveillance and it's limitations and how to exploit those limitations. In the case of F&F, it appears, from the testimony Forticelli, Dodson et al gave at congress, they were ordered not to intercept, maintain surveillance or even follow the guns. IIRC, Forticelli, on his own initiative, even maintained surveillance on his own for six days in the desert, and when he saw the exchange or pickup of the guns from the straw purchaser taking place, was not only refused backup or assistance to arrest the perpetrators, but ordered to stand down & come in. ?????

I have to assume those same whistleblowers would have reacted (and acted) then as they did now with F&F, had Wide Receiver willingly allowed guns to "walk".

whether i'm republican, democrat, libertarian or polish shouldn't have any bearing. Credence to another motive to let guns walk is becoming more and more apparent - to generate statistics to support further gun control. No matter what side of the gun control issue someone is on, when an administration is using concealed, "under the radar" means of promoting an agenda, we all should be concerned. If their goal is so "right" and "just", then why use concealed means to support or promote it?. What will an administration try next to dupe the public into supporting, if this is tolerated? And in this case, human lives (both civilian and LE) were viewed as "collateral damage", or eggs necessarily broken to make an omelet.

read today's article over on Sipsy Street http://sipseystreeti...ginning_07.html - iirc, it was on the old Perry Mason TV series that i first heard the phrase "Means, Motivation & Opportunity" as 3 core elements of guilt - those 3 elements don't insure guilt, but it sure indicates who to look at. On the motivation element, we have strong evidence on this admin's position on gun control. Means and Opportunity were already built in.

Hopefully, someone on this forum, with first hand knowledge of Wide Receiver, will chime in

PS added: looks like some light has been shed on the Wide Receiver operation from Sheryl Attkisson

http://www.examiner...._alerts_article

[retired1811]

The below is part of an article that appeared in the Bloomberg Business Week on 10/06/2011.

"At the ATF briefing, Jones confirmed the outlines of a separate ATF operation that took place during the Bush administration and used the same controversial gun-walking tactic that Operation Fast and Furious employed.

Jones said Operation Wide Receiver began in 2006, lasted about a year and that the Justice Department under the Obama administration decided to prosecute eight or nine people in the case."

[The Original Ralph]

Ralph I am not here to get in a pissing contest with you but as a professional investigator I am asking you can others verify your version. If they can great. If not than that is another matter. But one way or another since this investigation is now in the public view it needs to be fully investigated by congress if for no other reason than to keep the good name of the investigators. If things where as you said than the investigators involved should welcome congressional oversight. Transparency has to be the order of the day for ATF given its current condition. A skeptical reader of your posting could have taken it that you are trying to protect the Bush administration or yourself. I do not condone Fast and Furious nor do I condone 450 guns making it to Mexico.

first, I am not defending that report - i posted it as clinically as i could - one, as a response (key word there is "a", as in a singular response that has been reported on a web news site), as a courtesy to the OP, and 2ndly, to see what forum members here that MIGHT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN IT had to say about

i'll accept your assertion that you're not here to get into a pissing contest, but push back from the keyboard far enough to see that your original post and subsequent posts are hard to interpret in any other way.

Frankly, i really would like to know whether that operation allowed guns to walk, even by "botched" efforts. But one thing is clear, from, iirc it was either Pete Forticelli or Dodson, that testified they couldn't get the AUSA to prosecute any low level straw purchasers. That part is what i really view with alarm - i'm not an investigator, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know you roll the lower level fish over to get the higher fish - and you roll em with the pressure of hard time in a federal hotel. I don't see details like that in the report re the bush era operation.

[retired1811]

i'll repeat with no unnecessary verbage

again, DO YOU HAVE ANY INFO THAT THE REPORT IS NOT FACTUAL OR ARE YOU JUST LOOKING FOR A REASON TO BE SNARKY

if you can't answer that or won't answer that, will be sufficiently revealing


even on the most basic level, what i asked initially, what difference could anyone's political leaning have on the issue? Just your assertion on my political orientation is disturbing enough

Ralph I am not here to get in a pissing contest with you but as a professional investigator I am asking you can others verify your version. If they can great. If not than that is another matter. But one way or another since this investigation is now in the public view it needs to be fully investigated by congress if for no other reason than to keep the good name of the investigators. If things where as you said than the investigators involved should welcome congressional oversight. Transparency has to be the order of the day for ATF given its current condition. A skeptical reader of your posting could have taken it that you are trying to protect the Bush administration or yourself. I do not condone Fast and Furious nor do I condone 450 guns making it to Mexico.

[The Original Ralph]

The purpose of this website is to clean up ATF at all levels.

i'll repeat with no unnecessary verbage

again, DO YOU HAVE ANY INFO THAT THE REPORT IS NOT FACTUAL OR ARE YOU JUST LOOKING FOR A REASON TO BE SNARKY

if you can't answer that or won't answer that, will be sufficiently revealing


even on the most basic level, what i asked initially, what difference could anyone's political leaning have on the issue? Just your assertion on my political orientation is disturbing enough

[retired1811]

where did you read how strongly i feel - or that i asserted that is MY VERSION

you throw a snarky question at me and then offer me your advice?

let's reverse it - are you telling me that you don't feel strongly about what this admininstration, thru ATF & DOJ or managed by DOJ has done in the way of F&F?

that's a heckuva position to take considering the purpose or reason this website was formed and exists

the OP asked a question, i came across one report that addressed and posted it

again, DO YOU HAVE ANY INFO THAT THE REPORT IS NOT FACTUAL OR ARE YOU JUST LOOKING FOR A REASON TO BE SNARKY

if you can't answer that or won't answer that, will be sufficiently revealing


even on the most basic level, what i asked initially, what difference could anyone's political leaning have on the issue? Just your assertion on my political orientation is disturbing enough

The purpose of this website is to clean up ATF at all levels.

[The Original Ralph]

If you feel so strongly about your version of the investigation than you should contact the congressional investigators and demand they take a statement from you.

where did you read how strongly i feel - or that i asserted that is MY VERSION

you throw a snarky question at me and then offer me your advice?

let's reverse it - are you telling me that you don't feel strongly about what this admininstration, thru ATF & DOJ or managed by DOJ has done in the way of F&F?

that's a heckuva position to take considering the purpose or reason this website was formed and exists

the OP asked a question, i came across one report that addressed and posted it

again, DO YOU HAVE ANY INFO THAT THE REPORT IS NOT FACTUAL OR ARE YOU JUST LOOKING FOR A REASON TO BE SNARKY

if you can't answer that or won't answer that, will be sufficiently revealing


even on the most basic level, what i asked initially, what difference could anyone's political leaning have on the issue? Just your assertion on my political orientation is disturbing enough

[retired1811]

well, in fact, i sure as hell ain't liberal, but don't know if i'd consider myself a republican. But i'm not sure what bearing that might have - if the story is factual, that's what i would assume is pertinent. If it's not, then there are the folks on this forum here that should be able to refute it.

is it factual?? or is there another agenda you'd rather pursue?

If you feel so strongly about your version of the investigation than you should contact the congressional investigators and demand they take a statement from you.

[The Original Ralph]

Let me guess. You are a Republican?

well, in fact, i sure as hell ain't liberal, but don't know if i'd consider myself a republican. But i'm not sure what bearing that might have - if the story is factual, that's what i would assume is pertinent. If it's not, then there are the folks on this forum here that should be able to refute it.

is it factual?? or is there another agenda you'd rather pursue?

[retired1811]

Let me guess. You are a Republican?

[The Original Ralph]

Here's a story on Pajamas Media addressing this:

http://pajamasmedia....did-it-too-lie/

Gunwalker: Gunning Down the ‘Bush Did It, Too’ Lie

The Bush Justice Department ran a sting operation intended to interdict weapons. Guns were never allowed to walk.

When Associated Press reporter Pete Yost uncritically repeated claims by anonymous Department of Justice officials that the Bush-era Operation Wide Receiver was “the same tactic” used by the Obama Justice Department in Operation Fast and Furious and other operations, I called him out, knowing the claim was incorrect.

A later article by Sharyl Attkisson of CBS News found a dealer who participated in Wide Receiver, and acting ATF Director B. Todd Jones (himself possibly implicated in Gunwalker) agreed that gun-walking had occurred while President Bush was in office. Yet something felt wrong, but I couldn’t recall the information I had previously heard to rebut the claim.

Luckily a reader had a better memory than I, and led me to the June 15 article by Jim Shepherd in The Outdoor Wire. Shepherd’s piece reveals just how different the botched sting of Wide Receiver was from the intentionally criminal Fast and Furious:

• In Operation Wide Receiver, Tucson agents allowed the sales of more than 500 firearms to known straw purchasers. Like Gunrunner/Fast and Furious, the operation apparently backfired.
• Some firearms in Wide Receiver were equipped with RFID tracking devices. In Wide Receiver, it seems the illegal purchasers seemed more than slightly knowledgeable of the ATF and how to take their aerial and electronic tracking procedures down.
• Knowing the time aloft numbers for virtually all planes used in government surveillance, the buyers had a simple method of getting their purchases across the border undetected. They simply drove four-hour loops around the area.
• As surveillance planes were forced to return to base for refueling, the smugglers simply turned and sprinted their cargo across the border.
• The RFID tags also turned out to be problematic.
• Rather than making large enough holes for the tags to be laid out inside weapons, agents force-fit them into the rifles.
• That cramming caused the antennae to be folded, reducing the effective range of the tags. And an already short battery life (36-48 hours maximum) meant that should purchasers allow the firearms to sit, the tracking devices eliminated themselves.
• Thar’s quite a bit of difference between the two operations.
• Wide Receiver sought to track and interdict guns being smuggled south using a combination of RFID-tracking devices embedded in the shipments and overheard surveillance aircraft. Wide Receiver failed because of the limitations of the technology used, compounded by the ineptness of its installation and the unexpected resourcefulness of the cartel’s gun smugglers.
• As a result of the mistakes made in Wide Receiver, guns were lost: approximately 450 made it into Mexico. As a result, the botched operation launched in 2006 — and in this instance, actually botched — was shut down in 2007.
• Compare the mistakes of Wide Receiver to the operations launched under Eric Holder’s Department of Justice, which had the advantages of learning from the postmortem failures of Wide Receiver two years before.
• Fast and Furious used neither tracking devices nor aircraft, ran interference for smugglers with local law enforcement on multiple occasions, and federal agents were not allowed to interdict weapons.
• Wide Receiver shut down within a year after 450 weapons went missing in a botched law enforcement operation. Fast and Furious purposefully ran at least 2,020 weapons to the Sinaloa cartel without any intention of arresting the straw purchasers and smugglers. Other operations in other states — CBS News’ Attkisson cites allegations of “at least 10 cities in five states” — allow the possibility that (if the other operations were as prolific as Fast and Furious) Holder’s Department of Justice may have intentionally sent more than 12,000 guns into criminal hands in the U.S and Mexico, enough to arm three U.S. Army brigades.
• Law enforcement operations sometimes go horribly wrong, and every indication is that Operation Wide Receiver executed by the ATF during the Bush administration while Alberto Gonzales was the attorney general was a “keystone cops” operation of the first magnitude. It was a horrible failure.

But Fast and Furious was no accident. Nor was it within spitting distance of being a law enforcement operation. Fast and Furious and the alleged gunwalking operations based in Houston, Dallas, Charlotte, Indiana, Tampa, and elsewhere were specifically designed to assure that straw purchasers and cartel weapons smugglers would be under the de facto protection of the Obama adminstration, with no attempts at interdiction and with interference on behalf of the criminals being traced to the ATF, FBI, and DOJ.

Let us hear no more false comparisons: Wide Receiver was botched law enforcement, while the gun-walking programs of the Obama administration were intentionally criminal — and arguably terrorist — acts, arming violent narco-terrorists waging war on a U.S. ally.

[KatiePavlich]

Anybody from ATF have any information about Operation Wide Receiver started under Bush out of Tucson? The claim is even under Bush guns were being trafficked to Mexico. http://www.cbsnews.c...tag=mncol;lst;2

[Bulletman]

Looks like Grassley and Issa are starting to scratch a big itch at the White House.................

PRINT PAGE
CBS reporter: White House, DOJ reps ‘yelled’ and ‘screamed’ at her over ‘Fast and Furious’ scandal
By Jeff Poor - The Daily Caller 2:16 PM 10/04/2011
Did the White House try to strong-arm a journalist in the wake of the Justice Department’s “Operation Fast and Furious” scandal? CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson says government leaders took a very aggressive tack following her revelations earlier this year.

On Tuesday’s Laura Ingraham Show, Attkisson said DOJ spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler and White House associate communications director Eric Schultz yelled and screamed at her over the story.

“The DOJ woman was just yelling at me,” Attkisson said. “The guy from the White House on Friday night literally screamed at me and cussed at me. Eric Schultz — oh, the person screaming was Tracy Schmaler. She was yelling, not screaming. And the person who screamed at me was Eric Schultz at the White House.”

Attkisson explained the vicious tongue-lashing:

“In between the yelling that I received from the Justice Department yesterday, the spokeswoman — who would not put anything in writing — I was asking for her explanation so there would be clarity and no confusion later over what had been said. She wouldn’t put anything in writing,” she said.

“So we talked on the phone and she said things such as ‘the question Holder answered was different than the one he asked.’ But the way he phrased it, he said very explicitly, ‘I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks.’”

Attkisson also said the DOJ and White House representatives complained that CBS was “unfair and biased” because it didn’t give the White House favorable coverage on the developing scandal.

“Is it sort of a drip, drip. And I’m certainly not the one to make the case for DOJ and White House about what I’m doing wrong,” she added. “They will tell you that I’m the only reporter, as they told me, that is not reasonable. They say The Washington Post is reasonable, the LA Times is reasonable, The New York Times is reasonable — I’m the only one who thinks this is a story, and they think I’m unfair and biased by pursuing it.”

Listen:



Article printed from The Daily Caller: http://dailycaller.com

URL to article: http://dailycaller.com/2011/10/04/cbs-reporter-white-house-doj-yelled-and-screamed-at-her-over-fast-and-furious-scandal/

Copyright © 2009 Daily Caller. All rights reserved.


Read more: http://dailycaller.c.../#ixzz1ZuuGXOr5

[JL2010]

Trust me, the last thing you would want is for ATF to be disbanded, which will likely happen right after the IRS is disbanded anyway.

Those laws still have to be enforced, and all you would have is the agents being badged into a new agency without the stigma of the old one and far more resources to fight with. I'll let you guess who that is. Theoretically, in any case.

Practically, it isn't even on the drawing board and never will be.

[Zorro]

For an operation that didn't exist, things seem to be getting a bit heated:

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.c...ed/uS1t87pRix0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[The Original Ralph]

Looks like they heard you:

House Republicans Request Special Counsel to Probe Holder on 'Fast and Furious'
October 04, 2011 | FoxNews.com | AP

EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are calling for a special counsel to determine whether Attorney General Holder perjured himself during his testimony to the House Judiciary Committee on Operation Fast and Furious, Fox News has learned.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, was sending a letter to President Obama on Tuesday arguing that Holder cannot investigate himself, and requesting the president instruct the Department of Justice to appoint a special counsel.

The question is whether Holder committed perjury during a Judiciary Committee hearing on May 3. At the time, Holder indicated he was not familiar with with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives program known as Fast and Furious until about April 2011.

"I'm not sure of the exact date, but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks," Holder testified.

However, a newly discovered memo dated July 2010 shows Michael Walther, director of the National Drug Intelligence Center, told Holder that straw buyers in the Fast and Furious operation "are responsible for the purchase of 1,500 firearms that were then supplied to the Mexican drug trafficking cartels."

Other documents also indicate that Holder began receiving weekly briefings on the program from the National Drug Intelligence Center "beginning, at the latest, on July 5, 2010," Smith wrote.

"These updates mentioned, not only the name of the operation, but also specific details about guns being trafficked to Mexico," Smith wrote in the letter to Obama.

"Allegations that senior Justice Department officials may have intentionally misled members of Congress are extremely troubling and must be addressed by an independent and objective special counsel. I urge you to appoint a special counsel who will investigate these allegations as soon as possible," Smith wrote.

In response, a Justice Department official said Tuesday that the attorney general "has consistently said he became aware of the questionable tactics in early 2011 when ATF agents first raised them publicly, and then promptly asked the (inspector general) to investigate the matter."

The official added that in March 2011, Holder testified to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee of that development.

"The weekly reports (100 + pages) are provided to the office of the AG and DAG each week from approximately 24 offices and components. These are routine reports that provide general overviews and status updates on issues, policies, cases and investigations from offices and components across the country. None of these reports referenced the controversial tactics of that allowed guns to cross the border," the official said.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., "of all people, should be familiar with the difference between knowing about an investigation and being aware of questionable tactics employed in that investigation since documents provided to his committee show he was given a briefing that included the fast and furious operation in 2010 – a year before the controversy emerged," the official continued.

Issa told Fox News on Tuesday morning that Holder saying he didn't understand the question rather than he didn't know of the program is not a successful defense to perjury.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, adde that months before Holder testified -- on Jan. 31 -- he came to Grassley's office, where Grassley gave him a letter detailing the investigation of Fast and Furious.

"If he read my letter, he knew on January 31," Grassley told Fox News. "He probably actually knew about it way back in the middle of last year or earlier.

Grassley said since he's not a lawyer he's not going to make a judgment on whether Holder committed perjury.

"But I can tell you this. They're doing everything they can, in a fast and furious way, to cover up all the evidence or stonewalling us. But here's the issue, if he didn't perjure himself and didn't know about it, the best way that they can help us, Congressman Issa and me, is to just issue all the documents that we ask for and those documents will prove one way or the other right or wrong."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.c.../#ixzz1ZplVCnfg

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And, it looks like the White House and DOJ aren't in laughing moods over this:

http://www.theblaze....st-and-furious/

CBS Reporter: White House ‘Screamed’ & ‘Cussed’ at Me for Coverage of ‘Fast and Furious’
October 4, 2011 by Jonathon M. Seidl Jonathon M. Seidl
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson has been doggedly covering the ATF and DOJ scandal surrounding the gunwalking “Fast and Furious” case. And now she’s coming out with some juicy details about her attempts to get information from the DOJ and the White House regarding the case.

On Laura Ingraham’s radio show Tuesday, Attkisson said she was “screamed” and “cussed” at by the White House while trying to get information last Friday, and that a DOJ spokesperson “yelled” at her while she was trying to get clarification on the case. And she named names.

Ingraham: So they were literally screaming at you?

Attkisson: Yes. Well the DOJ woman was just yelling at me. The guy from the White House on Friday night literally screamed at me and cussed at me.

Ingraham: Who was the person? Who was the person at Justice screaming?

Attkisson: Eric Schultz Oh, the person screaming was [DOJ spokeswoman] Tracy Schmaler, she was yelling not screaming. And the person who screamed at me was Eric Schultz at the White House.

Why such the reaction from the spokespeople?

“They will tell you that I’m the only reporter–as they told me–that is not reasonable,” she told Ingraham. “They say the Washington Post is reasonable, the LA Times is reasonable, the New York Times is reasonable, I’m the only one who thinks this is a story, and they think I’m unfair and biased by pursuing it.”

You can listen to her tell the story below:

This all comes House Republican are calling for a special investigation of Attorney General Eric Holder over his handling of the scandal and after it was revealed this week that Holder was sent briefings on the program as early as June 2010. That contradicts his statement under oath in May 2011 that he first heard about the operation “over the last few weeks.” Holder’s camp has tried to explain the contradiction by saying he was referring to the details of the case and not the case itself.

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) addressed the issue on Fox today and said he personally handed a letter to Holder on the issue in January of this year, which would also seem to contradict Holder’s defense:

--------------------------------------

[SilentObserver]

Just an FYI...When U.S. Attorney Phoenix, Arizona Dennis Burke testified before the House Oversight Committee...He did not go empty handed..He also turned over a stack of documents 3 inches thick..This is thickening by the week..It will get more interesting real soon I assure you.

[x1811]

Leadership starts at the top of any organization. If Holder can lie then its OK for Breuer to do it. If Breuer can lie then Melson thinks its OK. So do the executives at the FBI and DEA. If Melson lies then who is to say that Newell and McMahon can't do it. If they can whats to stop Gillett and Voth.

America can see that this situation is all about lies and cover up.

If Obama wants to save any integrity for DOJ Holder has to resign or be removed. Then anyone who touched Fast and Furious has to be reassigned or removed pending the full outcome of the Congressional, OIG and Special Prosecutor's investigations.

How else will anyone in this country ever trust the Department of Justice.

Be careful of the analogy of perjury when assigning your logic to the DEA and FBI. This forum by ATF agents have correctly and courageously chronicled the falsehoods by ATF leaders in hearings before Congress. The media has linked DOJ officials to instances where those DOJ officials were remiss on their recollection of knowing about the existence of Fast and Furious. Regardless of the absence of ethics at DOJ, I think that management at the DEA and FBI will never think it is ok to lie. I am sure there have been indesgressions in the past with regard to recollection of events. I have personal knowledge of a federal law enforcement executive trying to cover up a matter and was prosecuted by the DOJ and sent to prison (at the insistence of the his agency). However, no one worth his salt should ever fall on the sword for some one else when it comes to supporting lies. All 1811's with any sense of ethics have worked too hard to get where they are today without having to need to throw their careers away to support lies created by someone else. As is stated, "The cover up is always worse than the crime."

[avatar]

Source of below: http://sipseystreeti...s.blogspot.com/

Monday, October 3, 2011

Perjury! A whole room full of walking, smoking guns! CBS: Eric Holder Briefed on Fast & Furious element of Gunwalker Scandal in JULY 2010! [see link at http://sipseystreeti...f-walking.html]



Perjury!

Remember this? [see link at http://www.cbsnews.c...h/?id=7364785n]

ATF Fast and Furious: New documents show Attorney General Eric Holder was briefed in July 2010.[see link at http://www.cbsnews.c...-10391695.html]

New documents obtained by CBS News show Attorney General Eric Holder was sent briefings on the controversial Fast and Furious operation as far back as July 2010. That directly contradicts his statement to Congress.

On May 3, 2011, Holder told a Judiciary Committee hearing, "I'm not sure of the exact date, but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks."

Yet internal Justice Department documents show that at least ten months before that hearing, Holder began receiving frequent memos discussing Fast and Furious.

Read the new documents:

Read the July 5, 2010 memo [see link at http://www.cbsnews.c...in;contentBody]

Read the "It's a tricky case" email [see link at http://www.cbsnews.c...in;contentBody]

Read the memo to AG Holder from Asst. AG Lanny A. Breuer. [see link at http://www.cbsnews.c...in;contentBody]

The documents came from the head of the National Drug Intelligence Center and Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer.

In Fast and Furious, ATF agents allegedly allowed thousands of weapons to cross the border and fall into the hands of Mexican drug cartels.

It's called letting guns "walk," and it remained secret to the public until Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered last December. Two guns from Fast and Furious were found at the scene, and ATF agent John Dodson blew the whistle on the operation.

Ever since, the Justice Department has publicly tried to distance itself. But the new documents leave no doubt that high level Justice officials knew guns were being "walked."

Two Justice Department officials mulled it over in an email exchange Oct. 18, 2010. "It's a tricky case given the number of guns that have walked but is a significant set of prosecutions," says Jason Weinstein, Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division. Deputy Chief of the National Gang Unit James Trusty replies "I'm not sure how much grief we get for 'guns walking.' It may be more like, "Finally they're going after people who sent guns down there."

The Justice Department told CBS News that the officials in those emails were talking about a different case started before Eric Holder became Attorney General. And tonight they tell CBS News, Holder misunderstood that question from the committee - he did know about Fast and Furious - just not the details.


Note: Another story below; the source is http://www.examiner....ied-people-died


Holder Lied, People Died

David Codrea, Gun Rights Examiner

October 3, 2011 -

"New documents obtained by CBS News show Attorney General Eric Holder was sent briefings on the controversial Fast and Furious operation as far back as July 2010," Sharyll Atkisson reports.

That directly contradicts his statement to Congress.

Proof now exists that as early as July, 2010, Holder had been apprised:

The investigation, initiated in September 2009 in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Phoenix Police Department, involves a Phoenix-based firearms trafficking ring...and straw purchasers are responsible for the purchase of 1,500 firearms that were then smuggled to Mexican drug trafficking cartels.

Which means, among other things, what the Phoenix PD knew and when they knew it now becomes an issue.

And in the thick of things, based on a heavily redacted Nov.2010 weekly report, is Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer. Additionally, an October 2010 email from Breuer deputy Jason Weinstein shows that, disingenuous parsing aside, decision-makers and their legal advisers knew exactly what the term "walking guns" meant. (Long-time readers will recall Breuer's name surfaced as a speculative "Project Gunwalker" figure in early February of this year.)

Combine these disclosures with a September 29 report from Fox News, and one fact offered by Rep. Darrell Issa and Sen. Charles Grassley becomes inescapable:

Operation Fast and Furious may have ended 10 months sooner than it did...This would have prevented hundreds of assault type weapons from being illegally straw purchased on behalf of Mexican drug cartels."

It would have prevented human deaths, Brian Terry's and untold numbers of Mexicans, not to mention potential unknown victims on this side of the border.

One other fact also becomes inescapable. Watch the video in the sidebar media player, particularly at 47 seconds into it. It's Holder's response to Darrell Issa's direct question:

ISSA: Mr. Attorney General, we have two Border Patrol agents who are dead, who were killed by guns that were allowed, as far as we can tell, to deliberately walk out of gun shops under the program often called Fast and Furious. This program, as you know — and the President’s been asked about it, you’ve been asked about it – allowed for weapons to be sold to straw purchasers, and ultimately, many of those weapons are today in the hands of drug cartels and other criminals. When did you first know about the program, officially, I believe, called Fast and Furious? To the best of your knowledge, what date?

HOLDER: I’m not sure of the exact date but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks.

The man perjured himself in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. That is an impeachable offense and a prosecutable offense.

It's time to drag him back in front of the committee, and this time question him in a manner more appropriate to his conduct.

You must demand it of your representatives.

..

Continue reading on Examiner.com Holder Lied, People Died - National gun rights | Examiner.com http://www.examiner....d#ixzz1ZlunPBWi

[The Shocker]

Once again, it's a job.

I dare say that beginning a new career, outside the Federal service, is far less "unpleasant" than a criminal defense to a trumped-up charge in Federal Court....far less expensive as well.

Yet there are dozens of agents who sit around and watch it happen. In this writer's opinion, EQUALLY culpable.

All this misplaced loyalty is inspiring, but will ultimately be rendered moot when the ATF is disbanded.

TS

Again, ATF is the "we want to get and keep guns out of the hands of bad guys and felons" bureau. For every regulatory prosecution there's 10 g cases.

Do your own research, and forget the propoganda you get from PAC's.

[avatar]

It is worth keeping in mind the bigger picture that attorney David T. Hardy identifies (source: http://armsandthelaw.com/); and particularly "Occam's Razor ... gunwalking was meant to serve a political agenda that (at the outset) was seen as setting the stage for some major pushes, and that required lots of Mexican crime guns to trace to US dealers. And if a few hundred people got killed, that was just the price." It went a lot bigger than just Attorney General Holder.


A brief timeline for Operation Gunwalker
Posted by David Hardy · 29 September 2011 04:41 PM

February 2009: AG Holder calls for reinstating the "assault weapon" ban, saying "I think that will have a positive impact in Mexico, at a minimum."

March 2009: Hillary Clinton visits Mexico, delivers a speech. "These criminals are outgunning law enforcement officials," Clinton said of the street warfare in towns near the border that have claimed more than 6,000 lives in the past year. And since we know that the vast majority, 90% of that [weaponry] comes from our country, we're going to try to stop it from getting there in the first place," Clinton said."

April 2009: President Obama visits Mexico. "Meeting face-to-face with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, President Obama on Thursday said the U.S. is to blame for much of Mexico’s drug violence, and he set up a major congressional gun-control battle by calling on the Senate to ratify a treaty designed to track and cut the flow of guns to other countries. Mr. Obama said he wants to renew a ban on some semiautomatic weapons but that it is not likely to pass Congress." He adds, "more than 90 percent of the guns recovered in Mexico come from the United States, many from gun shops that lay in our shared border."

September 2009: Operation Fast and Furious appears to begin at about this point.

October 2009: Field Field Division establishes "Group VII." Its plans include allowing guns to "walk" to Mexico.

March 2010: An email to Group VII supervisors informs them that the acting head of ATF and the Deputy Director of FBI are very interested in the operation and receiving weekly briefings.
Some agents are objecting, since Agent Voth sends an email telling agents that if “you don’t think this is fun,” you should find another job.

April 2010: Group VII reports the straw men purchased 359 firearms, including some .50 rifles, last month alone.

May 2010: President Calderon visits Washington, calls for renewal of the "assault weapon" ban.

December 2010: The Administration proposes to require reporting of multiple long-gun sales by dealers in border States. Dennis Henigan of Brady Campaign rejoices that it may be the end of appeasement, and calls for more: "The new ATF initiative to fight Mexican gun trafficking has crossed a line -- and the administration knows it. "

December 10, 2010: Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry is murdered, and Fast and Furious guns are found at the site.

December 22, 2010, ATF agents Bloggers pick up the story.

January 2011: Fast and Furious is suddenly shut down. ATF arrests the straw men. Agent Newell vigorously denies the agency allowed guns to "walk."

Feburary 2011: story goes mainstream when CBS Evening News covers it.

So in Spring 2009 the Administration was pushing its agenda with references to American guns going to Mexico -- with spokesmen including the President, the AG, and the Secretary of State. In the following months, Operation Fast and Furious took form. The gunwalking involved offices in Arizona and Texas, and perhaps Florida, and involved FBI as well as ATF. FBI even bankrolled one of the smugglers. Occam's Razor ... gunwalking was meant to serve a political agenda that (at the outset) was seen as setting the stage for some major pushes, and that required lots of Mexican crime guns to trace to US dealers. And if a few hundred people got killed, that was just the price.

[JL2010]

Again, ATF is the "we want to get and keep guns out of the hands of bad guys and felons" bureau. For every regulatory prosecution there's 10 g cases.

Do your own research, and forget the propoganda you get from PAC's.

[Jaime3]

Because of that kind of mentality...that's a part of the problem.

I hope no one believes these corrupt individuals didn't first practice this behavior internally...before distributing it externally!
It all connects and all fits in the realm of corrupt behavior.
This bully behavior begins internally, in order to get enough people on your team so when you do it externally, they just follow suit.

There is a Phenomenal Investigator in my office, who offers assistance and elite professionalism to FFLs. However, because of the "Inter-office Politics" this Investigator is not able to remain on board and continue providing the level of Professionalism the FFLs admire and come to respect. So you see...it all fits!


Unfortunately, your answer is another example of "it doesn't affect me personally" syndrome...and the "that's not my personal interest" syndrome.

I listen and respect every opinion shared. However, it's those dividing aspects in which continues the contamination within the Agency.


Some only interested if it has a political soundbite to promote their political agenda, while others only interested if it makes good news and gives them a cameo appearance with their position about gun rights.

And for the record, the people who are willing to step out and be crucified....are the people being tormented by the "Inter-Office Politics" and being harassed right out of their pensions. These are the people speaking out for the rights of the FFLs and illegal tactics being used from inside. So to say make certain statements of only personal particular interest, may be construed as being unappreciative of sacrifices made to stand up in defense of Licensee/Permittee rights and what's true.

So to say you're only interested in certain particulars, only puts you in the same boat with people who do nothing to help.
Because like them who have an "Agenda" to say nothing for their own protection, you have the "Agenda" to only look at what interest you throughout it all.

So I hope this helps you see how it all fits...whether you agree or not.


And once again, I do understand your frustration. However, I hope you see it ALL goes hand in hand.

Here's a personal quote of mine I hold close...

"A picture painted will not only reflect the quality of the painter's talent...but the outlook reflected from the painter's true vision"

[The Shocker]

My overriding concern is not for inter-office politics and who harasses whom.

To be sure: there are some ugly things which go on in the Federal Employ, and as I've alluded to before, this is not exclusive to the ATF.

MY overriding concern is the volume of dead and devastated citizens, not just in the US, but in Mexico. Slightly more important than the inter-Bureau unpleasantness.

ATF management's style cross-pollinates with the SA's "intimidation and fabrication" investigative style. Citizens should welcome contact with ATF, instead they are terrified. Many SAs enjoy this "bad seed" notoriety. IF and that's a huge IF, the Bureau could actually make intelligent and consistent decisions regarding their mission and the enforcement of Federal Laws, their reputation would greatly improve.

Let's just ponder a "for instance". For instance, Technology Branch in M'burg, issues forth letters, apparently cleared by ATF counsel, and then reverses itself month later, ruining the fortunes of inventors and causing untold "busy work" for SAs and others in ATF. (Akins Accelerator). How many mechanical engineers, former gun smiths, former 07 FFL holders work at Tech Branch? Zero. Tech Branch exists to make gadgets illegal and to provide "lab cred" to prosecutions. In a JPFO film featuring some malfeasances by Tech Branch personnel, they took a submachine gun parts kit, and fabricated straps to hold the front and rear receiver chunks together at the correct dimension, built a feed ramp for the bullets out of JB Weld epoxy, got the contraption (dangerous at any speed) to fire two rounds and meet the definition of "machinegun" and forwarded it back to the US Atty somewhere for further prosecution. There's another infamous incident, not on video, where Tech Branch staff used "zip ties" to secure a piece of pegboard to replace a steel sideplate (legally the "firearm" part) of a belt fed machine gun parts kit which was fully assembled, got the thing to fire two rounds and referred the case back to the US Atty.

Folks who own guns know, folks who build guns know, folks who sell guns know...that the ATF is not your friend and they will get you, once they have a hard-on for you, and if the evidence doesn't exist, they'll make sure it exists, if they don't kill you first.

ATF could've, long ago, been the "hey, we wanna get and keep guns outta the hands of bad guys and felons" Bureau. Instead, they began manufacturing violators. There's just too many "tough guys" led by antigun managers who condone the "whatever it takes to make me look better" attitude. Citizens are the cannon fodder that careers are built upon.