You ask WHY is Vince still ranting? Because this is still MY Bureau too. I earned that.
Today's testimony by Mr. Brandon should be embarrassing to everybody who does or did carry a ATF badge. Ill keep my rant as brief as possible, Clearly the Dem side of the committee had NO interest in providing oversight, as they didn't ask ONE question about the matters before the committee.
1. Mr Brandon has been the DD AND Acting Director of ATF for over 4 years, and he didn't understand what being invited to testify before a Congressional oversight committee entailed? I call outright bullshit. IF it was true, then Mr, Brandon is NOT intelligent enough to be Acting Director. Our Bureau has a LONG history of being "invited" to appear before this particular committee. He made reference to advice by counsel suggesting he didn't need to compel Ron Turk to appear. Again, bullshit. HES the Acting DIRECTOR, not Chief counsel. Tom Brandon doesn't lead or run this Bureau, Chief counsel does.
2. He was ill prepared to answer obvious questions, and answered much like a GS 7 Agent, not a "street guy". A skilled "street guy" prepares for Grand Jury and Court.
3. There was a reason he was willing to take the criticism of the Chairman and others. It was because Turk also has no answers to questions of OBVIOUS mismanagement and incompetence.
4. The culture hasn't changed. He asked for more money when he has already created an over bloated management structure where there are more agents NOT working cases than ever in our history. He has promoted and protected a cadre of "leaders" that keep failing because the avg. seniority of a new boss is 6-8 yrs. ARE YOU SHITTING ME?
5. Mr, Brandon stated "we run toward the truth". You KNOW personally of the lies, the evidence manipulations, the frame job, the perjury that occurred in the trial of Jay Dobyns. You hid from and IGNORED the truth to this day. KNOWING the abuses directed at a decorated and storied Agent like Jay Dobyns, you STILL sit there today allowing the Department and the Agency to pursue appeals against his victory in the Court of Claims. Isn't that EXACTLY like sitting silent when you know you've convicted a innocent man? Yet you allowed George Gillette to not only get away with a CRIME but one DIRECTLY in violations of the laws WE enforce. Don't try to hide behind DOJ civil Attorneys wont let me settle the Dobyns matter. YOU ARE THE DIRECTOR. OR ARE YOU? Like those who preceded you, you had an opportunity to change things, but just like them, you are too busy polishing your next trophy.
Thats all.