Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

Charles E. "Chuck" Grassley (R-IA) is a U.S. Senator and, at the time of this writing, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. As a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, Grassley has spearheaded many probes into the misuse and accountability of federal money.

After the "Project Gunrunner/Operation Fast & Furious" scandal was first exposed by www.CleanUpATF.org, and it became known that U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry may have been murdered by ATF-"tracked" weapons, Senator Grassley has relentlessly fought to properly investigate and remedy one of the most inexcusable breaches of public trust and sane law enforcement techniques in American history. Sen. Grassley carried the fight to those responsible, early and often.

In the face of coordinated cover-up efforts, willful obstruction and unlawful stonewalling activities by ATF, DOJ and Obama Administration officials, and shameful grandstanding interference from House and Senate Democrats, Senator Grassley has resolutely refused to back down from his duty to ensure proper Congressional oversight and accountability for the shockingly ill-advised and in many cases, illegal acts that led to the scandals breaking on this website.

Moreover, Sen. Grassley defended Whistleblowers from ATF and other agencies, early on and well before it was "cool" to do so. His January 31, 2011 letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, citing federal laws and the United States Constitution, both of which allow citizens such as ATF Agents to communicate with Congress and prohibit retaliators from being paid with public funds, put DOJ and ATF on notice that "business as usual" (i.e., retaliating against lawful Whistleblowers to cover the Department and Bureau's managerial behinds) would not be tolerated.

This has special significance for the members of www.CleanUpATF.org, since ATF management was, at the time, telling its employees that Congress "has no investigative authority" and overtly threatening any would-be Whistleblowers with draconian disciplinary action if so much as thought about speaking with Congressional members.

The tireless efforts of Sen. Grassley and his staff to determine the actual facts, and their refusal to be cowed by vicious media and partisan smear campaigns, are worthy of significant praise and esteem.

As additional revelations continue to surface about "Fast & Furious" et al, and despite desperate ongoing efforts by DOJ and ATF officials to make it all just "go away", we are confident that Chuck Grassley has his eye on the ball and will not permit these charlatans to escape unscathed. We trust that he will insist upon final justice for Whistleblowers such as Vince Cefalu, Jay Dobyns and others, and hold justly accountable those that have unlawfully and maliciously retaliated against them, and violated their oaths of service to the American public.

Sen. Chuck Grassley should be honored as a tireless patriot and exceptional lawmaker by every American citizen.

www.CleanUpATF.org salutes Sen. Grassley and his staff for the excellence of their ongoing efforts to hold ATF management, DOJ officials and the Administration to the same basic standards of competence, integrity, lawfulness and sanity that the average street Agent is expected to adhere to on a daily basis.