Showing posts with label Holder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holder. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

McCain on Gunwalker: Holder Needs to Testify Now

The most partisan political hack ever to serve as attorney general hardest hit:

Sen. John McCain is asking for a Senate hearing on the ATF's Fast and Furious "Gunwalker" scandal "as soon as possible."

And he wants Attorney General Eric Holder to testify.

...As CBS News first reported last February, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allegedly allowed thousands of weapons to "walk" onto the streets without interdiction into the hands of suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels... The operation allegedly had the blessing of the lead prosecutor on the case. That prosecutor, Emory Hurley, was recently reassigned. Last week, his boss U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke resigned, as did the head of ATF Kenneth Melson.

This week, the Department of Justice removed Fast and Furious and two related cases from the US Attorney's office in Arizona and reassigned them to California prosecutors.

Holder has not given detailed testimony on the scandal. He had no comment on McCain's request. President Obama has said that neither he nor Holder knew about or approved of the operation. The Inspector General is investigating.

The invaluable Sipsey Street Irregulars remain the go-to news source on all things Gunrunner.


Sunday, September 04, 2011

Gibson Guitar's Official Statement on its Persecution by the Government

Gibson CEO Juszkiewicz says, "...perhaps our good friends in the media can use their investigative skills to help us to get the bottom of exactly why the government has singled out Gibson for harassment."

The Justice department bullies Gibson without filing charges


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gov’t says wood is illegal if U.S. workers produce it
Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Federal Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. has suggested that the use of wood from India that is not finished by Indian workers is illegal, not because of U.S. law, but because it is the Justice Department’s interpretation of a law in India. (If the same wood from the same tree was finished by Indian workers, the material would be legal.) This action was taken without the support and consent of the government in India.

On August 24, 2011, around 8:45 a.m. CDT, agents for the federal government executed four search warrants on Gibson’s facilities in Nashville and Memphis and seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. Gibson had to cease its manufacturing operations and send workers home for the day, while armed agents executed the search warrants. Gibson has fully cooperated with the execution of the search warrants.

Raid shut down Gibson factories and cost company money - This is the second time that federal agents have raided Gibson facilities and disrupted production – this time causing lost productivity and sales.

Wood seized was Forest Stewardship Council Controlled - The wood the Government seized on August 24 is from a Forest Stewardship Council certified supplier and is FSC Controlled, meaning that the wood complies with the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council, which is an industry-recognized and independent, not-for-profit organization established to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC Controlled Wood standards require, among other things, that the wood not be illegally harvested and not be harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights. See www.fsc.org for more information. Gibson has a long history of supporting sustainable and responsible sources of wood and has worked diligently with entities such as the Rainforest Alliance and Greenpeace to secure FSC certified supplies. The wood seized on August 24 satisfied FSC standards.

Nearly two years later, no charges have been filed - In 2009, more than a dozen agents with automatic weapons invaded the Gibson factory in Nashville. The Government seized guitars and a substantial amount of ebony fingerboard blanks from Madagascar. To date, 1 year and 9 months later, criminal charges have NOT been filed, yet the Government still holds Gibson’s property. Gibson has obtained sworn statements and documents from the Madagascar government and these materials, which have been filed in federal court, show that the wood seized in 2009 was legally exported under Madagascar law and that no law has been violated. Gibson is attempting to have its property returned in a civil proceeding that is pending in federal court.

The Justice Department has asked the judge to stop the court case indefinitely.

Information sought in raid was already made available - Since 2009, Gibson has fully cooperated with the Government’s investigation of wood and has provided substantial documentation regarding Gibson’s wood-buying activities over the years. Yet, the Federal Government raided Gibson’s facilities on August 24, 2011, without warning or communication of any kind. Had the Government simply communicated with Gibson, Gibson would have cooperated without having to stop its production and send workers home.

Not about illegal logging, not about conservation, not about the environment - The U.S. Lacey Act does not directly address conservation issues but is about obeying all laws of the countries from which wood products are procured. This law reads that you are guilty if you did not observe a law even though you had no knowledge of that law in a foreign country. The U.S. Lacey Act is only applicable when a foreign law has been violated.

Gibson is innocent and will fight to protect its rights - Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of ANY wrong doing. We will fight aggressively to prove our innocence.

For more information, please contact:
Henry E. Juszkiewicz
c/o Gibson Guitar Corp.
309 Plus Park Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37217

As an aside, Gibson is a non-unionized shop while its competitors are largely unionized.

And Gibson's CEO is a Republican donor while his competitors -- who import the exact same wood without complaint from the government -- are Democrat contributors.

But I'm sure those are all just coincidences.


Hat tip: D&S.

Friday, September 02, 2011

Gunrunner Tip: U.S. city officials smuggled guns to Mexican cartels... under the watchful eyes of federal agents

This story could give you chills.

I wrote a few days ago about the city officials in New Mexico's border town of Columbus indicted for smuggling firearms and tactical gear to the La Linea drug cartel. As it turns out, that case may be linked to "Operation Fast and Furious", the malevolent Justice Department project that shipped thousands of murder weapons to Mexican drug gangs.

Here's the interesting part -- over the transom comes the following tip:

Read Counts 23 and 24 of the indictment, on page 9 of 26 of the indictment, available here:

In Count 23, On January 25, 2011, federal agent(s) watched as two suspects purchased a total of 20 American Tactical 9mm pistols from an FFL in New Mexico, drove with two more persons about 27.5 miles in about 32 minutes to an apartment in El Paso, TX. They stopped at a Kmart and bought a black backpack. They entered the apartment with the black backpack and the box containing the 20 pistols. Shortly two individuals exited the apartment, with the now-full black backpack and drove, with the black backpack, in an unmarked Ford F-150 police vehicle registered to the village of Columbus, TX to the El Paso bus station (which is less than 1/4 mile from the Santa Fe Bridge Border Crossing between El Paso and Juarez).

In count 24, on January 27, 2011, federal agents watched as a Honda Pilot with Chihuahua plates occupied by two of the men from the Jan. 25 event, and an unknown female, pulled up to the apartment. Two men unloaded and carried into the apartment a large black suitcase. Two hours later, one of the men who had bought guns on Jan. 25 exited the apartment, wheeled the large black suitcase to the unmarked Ford F-150 police vehicle registered to the village of Columbus, NM, and drove to the El Paso bus station (yep, the one less than 1/4 mile from the Santa Fe Bridge Border Crossing between El Paso and Juarez).

So how do the statements made in those two counts in the indictment square with paragraph ten of the media's story announcing the arrests and unsealing of the indictment?

"As part of the investigation, every effort was made to seize firearms from defendants to prevent them from entering into Mexico, and no weapons were knowingly permitted to cross the border."

The agents followed the straw buyers for more than half-an-hour from Chaparral, NM to El Paso, TX. The agents watched as a bundle they had to suspect contained firearms was driven to a bus station within 1/4 mile of the border. The agents watched the apartment for two days. The agents then watched as a second container they might reasonably have suspected contained firearms was driven to the same bus station within 1/4 mile of the border.

How many opportunities did they have to interdict the firearms along the way?

How far from the border do they have to be when they avert their gaze to say they did not "knowingly" allow firearms to cross the border?

There is no indication that any of these 20 9mm pistols were seized or in any way accounted for. The activities reported in both counts 23 and 24 happened more than one month after the death of US Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry.

Those are damn good questions.

So I repeat: what did Eric Holder know? And when did he know it?

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Boom: Congressional Investigators Find Evidence of a Gunwalker Coverup

You've got to give CBS credit on two fronts: they've doggedly pursued the biggest DC scandal since Watergate and they fired Dan Rather.

Congressional investigators tell CBS News there's evidence the U.S. Attorney's office in Arizona sought to cover up a link between their controversial gunwalking operation known as "Fast and Furious" and the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

Terry was murdered in Arizona near the US border last December. Two assault rifles ATF had allegedly allowed onto the street without interdiction were found at the scene...

...the lead prosecutor on Fast and Furious, Assistant US Attorney Emory Hurley, learned almost immediately that guns allowed onto the street in his case, had been recovered at Terry's murder. "(I)n the hours after Agent Terry's death," says the letter from Grassley and Issa, Hurley apparently "contemplated the connection between the two cases and sought to prevent the connection from being disclosed." The Justice Department recently transferred Hurley out of the criminal division into the civil division...

...An internal ATF email dated the day after Terry's death reveals the quick decision to not disclose the source of the weapons found at the murder scene: "... this way we do not divulge our current case (Fast and Furious) or the Border Patrol shooting case."

Another ATF email indicates that the justification both offices used to not charge the suspect with crimes related to the murder scene "was to not 'complicate' the FBI's investigation."

ATF whistleblowers revealed the link between the two cases to Congressional investigators and CBS News, saying their supervisors were attempting to cover it up.

To their credit, Reps. Grassley and Issa have announced they are expanding the Gunrunner investigation. Particularly galling:

...a court filing by the Phoenix office seeking to deny Mr. Terry’s family rights under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, and expressed concerns about conflicts of interest in prosecuting the Terry case. “Since your office directed and approved the daily tactical decisions in Operation Fast and Furious, it is hard to avoid the perception that a conflict of interest exists,” the two wrote.

What did Eric Holder know -- and when did he know it?

And just how high does the coverup go?


Related:
08/28/11: Heard about the New Mexico city officials smuggling guns to drug cartels in U.S. police cars?
07/17/11: ATF facilitated sales of guns to cartel members, who were actually FBI informants using taxpayer money
07/12/11: More proof that Holder lied and people died


Sunday, August 28, 2011

Gunwalker: Heard about the city officials in New Mexico who were smuggling guns to drug cartels in U.S. police cars?

Several city officials of the New Mexico border town of Columbus recently admitted they smuggled firearms and tactical gear to the La Linea drug cartel. And now, it turns out, that case may be linked to "Operation Fast and Furious", the malevolent Justice Department project that shipped thousands of murder weapons to Mexican drug gangs.

The Columbus gun smuggling case might be linked to a national case... The mayor, police chief and a trustee have all pled guilty to running guns to the Juarez drug cartel "La Linea".

At a hearing for police Chief Angelo Vega on Thursday, it was revealed that six of those weapons may be connected to "Operation Fast and Furious"[, ...] an ATF program that allowed thousands of guns to cross into Mexico so that federal agents could track them.

Now "Fast and Furious" is under investigation, because officials lost track of more than a third of the guns, many of which were linked to shootings.

Last month it was revealed that Columbus city officials were using the town's police cars and other equipment to run guns to the cartels.

The former mayor of a New Mexico border town pleaded guilty to gun smuggling charges four months after he was arrested in a federal sting.

On Tuesday, Eddie Espinoza, 51, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, three counts of making false statements, and three counts of smuggling firearms from the United States.

The guilty plea means the former mayor of the village of Columbus could face up to 50 years in a federal prison.

In March, federal agents arrested Espinoza and several others, including Columbus Chief of Police Angelo Vega and village Trustee Blas Gutierrez.

Federal documents state the group smuggled more than 200 guns from New Mexico to the streets of Cíudad Juárez and Palomas, Chihuahua. The documents further state that at times the group used unmarked police cars registered to Columbus to smuggle the guns across the border... the guns [were connected] to at least eight murders in those cities.

Gunwalker is a bigger scandal than Watergate. American law enforcement officials have been killed by the weapons smuggled to the drug cartels by a rogue Justice Department.

If we had a real media in this country, a firestorm of outrage would have already been ignited among the electorate. And the most partisan Attorney General in American history -- Eric Holder -- would be testifying every day in front of Congress.



Saturday, August 27, 2011

CEO of Gibson Guitars' Main Competitor is a Huge Democrat Donor; Also Uses Same Wood Without Any Complaints From Feds

Earlier this week the federal government executed its second major raid of Gibson Guitars in just two years. Armed agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stopped production at the company's manufacturing facilities on Wednesday, confiscating "massive quantities of wood, unfinished guitars, and finished products".

The Federal Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. has suggested that the use of wood from India that is not finished by Indian workers is illegal, not because of U.S. law, but because it is the Justice Department’s interpretation of a law in India. (If the same wood from the same tree was finished by Indian workers, the material would be legal.) This action was taken without the support and consent of the government in India.

On August 24, 2011, around 8:45 a.m. CDT, agents for the federal government executed four search warrants on Gibson’s facilities in Nashville and Memphis and seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. Gibson had to cease its manufacturing operations and send workers home for the day, while armed agents executed the search warrants. Gibson has fully cooperated with the execution of the search warrants.


The fact that the government would issue warrants based on their interpretation of another country’s laws is laughable–and scary–in and of itself, but that they would demonize an American, non-unionized (coincidentally, I’m sure) company for something that isn’t even a crime (especially not in the American lawbooks) is a gross misjustice. Keep in mind that the Indian government itself wasn’t involved in the Gibson warrants and raid.

This unfortunate event begs the question, Why Gibson?

Like almost all of the actions of the Holder Justice Department, the raid was likely motivated by political considerations.

...Henry E. Juszkiewicz, Gibson’s Chief Executive Officer, is a [large] donor to a couple of Republican politicians...

When warrants as ridiculous such as these are issued and executed, there appears no other reason than because the company or individual at hand is being targeted, not because there is any sort of wrongdoing. As a company, Gibson is a legendary. They’ve done nothing wrong, except, apparently, deigning to have a Republican CEO.

The plot thickens, however.

One of Gibson’s leading competitors is C.F. Martin & Company. The C.E.O., Chris Martin IV, is a long-time Democratic supporter, with $35,400 in contributions to Democratic candidates and the DNC over the past couple of election cycles. According to C.F. Martin’s catalog, several of their guitars contain “East Indian Rosewood.” In case you were wondering, that is the exact same wood in at least ten of Gibson’s guitars.

So how could the federal government justify its attempts to shut down one of the few companies still manufacturing valuable products in the United States? The supposed reason is an egregious piece of legislation called the Lacey Act, which:

...regulates the importation of plants, animals, and products thereof into the United States. The Lacey Act effectively permits wooden musical instruments to be seized indefinitely, without compensation, and places the burden of proof on the owner, not the government. Do you own an $11,000 2011 Gibson Eric Clapton Edition Les Paul? Want to take it to Canada and back? You’d better be prepared to document the source of all materials to the government’s satisfaction upon your return, or you could lose it indefinitely. If you thinking documenting that is tough, what if you’re ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons returning from an overseas tour with your real 1959 sunburst Les Paul, for which you’ve already turned down at least one $5,000,000 offer? Good luck documenting the wood from a fifty-two-year-old guitar.

Very few [of our] readers travel with guitars, particularly across the country’s borders, so I don’t expect this to worry you personally. If, on the other hand, you want to drive across the Canadian or Mexican border in your own car — or even a rental — consider this: The same law that allows the Feds to raid American manufacturers and seize the possessions of Americans without compensation applies to cars, too.

...Simply possessing the timber product can make you a felon, regardless of whether or not you were involved in the harvesting, were the original importer, or had received any information regarding the source of the timber product...

...Here’s an example. Let’s say you are driving a Bentley Flying Spur with a rosewood interior. Importation of Brazilian rosewood is a felony under the Lacey Act. Do you know where the rosewood in your Spur came from? Can you prove it? In Gibson’s case, it was Indian rosewood that supposedly caused the bust; although the importation of Indian rosewood is legal, it has to be finished and prepared to certain standards in India. If raw Indian rosewood is sent to Bentley for finishing into dashboards — and make no mistake, that is how it is done — it may not break any British laws, but it breaks an American one, and you are now a convicted felon for visiting the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and coming back.

This federal government -- a behemoth now operated by the most partisan political hacks in my lifetime -- is completely out of control.

2012 can't come soon enough.


Hat tip: Big Hollywood. Linked by: Ace o' Spades, Weasel Zippers, Protein Wisdom, and iOwnTheWorld. Thanks!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Obama unveils jobs plan -- for illegal aliens

Amnesty Doubleheader: not only will White House bring a halt to most deportations of illegals, it will also grant them... work permits


If the administration has implemented a more cynical and lawless attempt to garner votes than this, I have yet to hear of it. The good news: I'm sure most unemployed Americans will not find comfort in the President's latest 'jobs plan'.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, illegal aliens will be eligible to receive work permits if their deportation is deferred through the Obama Administration's new policy. Yesterday, the Administration announced that the Department of Homeland Security will review all deportation cases on a case-by-case basis and only deport illegal aliens who have been convicted of crimes...

...Illegal aliens living in the United States typically don't apply for work permits for fear of deportation, but under the new policy, they could apply for work permits if granted deferred action or parole and compete with 22 million Americans who can't find a full-time job.

Though "comprehensive immigration reform" and other legislative forms of amnesty for illegal aliens has never passed Congress, the President has assumed powers that could almost be termed 'dictatorial'; he has bypassed the legislative process to achieve the same end result.

The Obama Administration announced on Thursday that it will individually review the 300,000 cases of illegal aliens currently holding deportation orders in an effort to appease his pro-amnesty critics and last year's record number of deportations.

The Administration deported 400,000 illegal aliens last year -- less than half had been convicted for other crimes. Pres. Obama is pledging to halt deportations of non-criminal illegal aliens. Illegal aliens that are considered low-priority deportations will no longer be the focus, including young people who were brought to the U.S. as children, military veterans and spouses of military personnel.

And, yes, I'm going to be adding these latest tyrannical outrages to President Barack Obama's Complete List of Historic Firsts.


Headline hat tip: Gov. Jan Brewer.


Friday, August 05, 2011

Holy F'in Crap: Fast & Furious was 'so out of control' that it was arming a massive Mexican drug cartel for all-out war

Has anyone at MSNBC interviewed Eric Holder about this yet?

The failed federal anti-gunrunning program known as Operation Fast and Furious got so out of control in November 2009, it appeared the U.S. government was single-handedly "arming for war" the Sinaloa Cartel, documents show, even as U.S. officials kept lying to fellow agents in Mexico about the volume of guns it helped send south of the border...

The precise number of casualties in Mexico isn't known, but ATF officials confirm the murder of Mario Gonzales Rodriguez, brother of the Chihuahua attorney general, with a Fast and Furious gun.

Erudite as usual, Ace provides the Cliff Notes version of what would be the lock-of-the-week impeachment material for any Republican.

Let's see if I have this straight:

The smartest administration in the history of the world conceived of this plan.

The plan was to just let thousands of weapons flow to murderous drug cartels.

And then take those cartels down.

But they didn't take the cartels down, because they didn't track the guns.

They instead were to follow the money, but they also didn't do that.

A US border agent was killed due to the illegal arms sent to a neighboring sovereign country in this massive covert operation.

In addition, so was the brother of a Mexican attorney general.

So were a number of other Mexican citizens murdered with these weapons -- we don't know the number yet.

In conducting this massive covert action, we lied to officials in this neighboring sovereign country, even though their people (and cops, and officials) were getting killed with our weapons.

As far as I know, we haven't taken any action beyond arresting a few straw buyers... who could have easily been arrested, with the weapons, when they attempted to smuggled them or sell them.

We have not taken down any cartels at all.

In fact, we've not done anything except murdered people by indirect, but perfectly foreseeable, US covert action.

And the only outlet that is following this is FoxNews, so you can tell Fox is biased.

Ace forgot only one element: the DOJ's reaction to their failed attempt at fomenting a Mexican civil war? Promotions all around!


Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Great news: all out civil war breaking out on our unprotected southern border between Mexican military and drug cartels

Stratfor Research reports that a gunbattle broke out yesterday in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. The combatants were the Mexican military and members of the powerful Los Zetas cartel.

Nuevo Laredo is right across the border from Laredo Texas.

You know what I would do if I was Eric Holder?

I'd implement a 3-step plan:

prosecute American citizens interested in protecting their states from drug- and human-smuggling crime cartels...

arm Mexican drug gangs with heavy weapons...

• and try to touch off a refugee crisis that would send thousands of 'undocumented Democrats' into southern states to help influence the 2012 election cycle

Do I have that about right?


Saturday, July 23, 2011

Awesome: Former federal officials believe cartels may attempt to overthrow Mexican government next year... using U.S. weapons

Nothing instills confidence in truth, justice and the American way like Eric Holder, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama:

Former DEA and CIA Operatives: Los Zetas May Attempt to Overthrow Mexican Government in 2012 (Using U.S. Government Weapons)


By Carmen Álvarez (Translated by Mario Andrade from excelsior.com.mx)

Los Zetas use the border crossings of El Paso-Ciudad Juarez and Palomas-Columbus (both locations along the Texas-Chihuahua border) to supply and stockpile military type weapons, which would give them ability to disrupt the 2012 elections, according to the El Paso Times.

“Many of the weapons have been stored in safe houses. I think Los Zetas are storing them for the upcoming elections of 2012,” said Robert Plumlee, a former CIA pilot who has testified before Congress on drugs and weapons trafficking research.

The report is corroborated with an interview with Phil Jordan, former director of the DEA in El Paso, who stated that the stockpiles, which include anti-aircraft missiles, are transported from a Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. The consultant added that the criminals set up (phony) companies to buy weapons directly through a State Department program.

...The Border Patrol personnel and U.S. intelligence services have recently learned that Los Zetas have been purchasing properties on both sides of the border to store thousands of high-power weapons that were discovered to be part of five or six shipments that left the same airport where the DEA has its air operations center... ...[Los Zeta wants to] reinforce their troops for battling other cartels and possibly disrupt the 2012 elections in Mexico, El Paso Times reported yesterday.

“I believe Los Zetas are storing weapons for the election season (2012). They probably want to be included as part of the (new) government, “said Plumlee... [they are stockpiling] grenades, grenade launchers, antiaircraft missiles, body armor, radios, GPS devices, and night vision binoculars, among other items.

...the stockpiles of weapons are not only held at real estate properties that Los Zetas have purchased on both sides of the border, but in other locations throughout Mexico because it was found that a private company is taking advantage of the Direct Commercial Sales program under the U.S. State Department, which allows businesses to purchase high-power weapons which the U.S. exports worldwide... The global arms report, Small Arms Survey of 2011, from the Institute for International and Development Studies in Switzerland, said that Mexico was the number one importer in the world of RPG’s, and “under-barrel” grenade launchers, with 1,429 units being imported, followed in second place by Latvia with 250.

Speaking of government programs to route weapons to the Mexican drug cartels, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the latest from Sen. Chuck Grassley. He continues to doggedly pursue "Project Gunrunner" (or, as I like to call it, "KillGate").

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says the Obama administration may have launched a failed gun-tracking operation along the Mexican border because “they don’t like the Second Amendment” and want to “restrict guns.”

Grassley is leading the Senate’s investigation into Operation Fast and Furious, in which the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) knowingly allowed semi-automatic guns such as AK-47s to be straw-purchased in the U.S., then sent to Mexican drug trafficking organizations.

Operation Fast and Furious began in September 2009 but was halted after two of the weapons were found at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in December 2010... The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a second hearing on the matter next week, on Tuesday...

Here's another theory: what if Obama, Clinton and Holder really did want to foment a civil war in Mexico? Their rationale: such a war would spark a "humanitarian crisis" and cause a mass exodus of civilians out of Mexico and into the U.S. The majority of this influx, Obama could legitimately assume, would vote Democrat.

Because when it comes to cynical, diabolical plots to weaken America, this administration appears to take a backseat to no one.


Sunday, July 17, 2011

Fast and Spurious: ATF facilitated sales of guns to cartel members, who they didn't know were actually FBI informants using taxpayer money

As Mark Steyn describes it: "United States taxpayers were picking up the tab for Mexican drug lords’ weaponry in order that the ATF could identify high-up gun-traffickers. But, as it turns out, these high-up gun-traffickers were already known to other agencies — FBI, DEA, and other big-spending acronyms in the great fetid ooze of federal alphabet soup in which this republic is drowning. And, indeed, some of those high-ups are said to have been paid informants for those various federal agencies. So, in case you’re wondering why Obama’s second annual Recovery Summer is a wee bit sluggish at your end, relax: Stimulus dollars went to fund one federal agency to buy guns for the paid informants of another federal agency to funnel to foreign criminals in order that the first federal agency might identify the paid informants of the second federal agency."

The Los Angeles Times reports today that at least six gun smugglers working for the Mexican drug cartels were also paid FBI informants:

The investigators have asked the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration for details about the alleged informants, as well as why agents at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which ran the Fast and Furious operation, were not told about them.

The development raises further doubts about the now-shuttered program, which was created in November 2009 in an effort to track guns across the border and unravel the cartels' gun smuggling networks. The gun tracing largely failed, however, and hundreds of weapons purchased in U.S. shops later were found at crime scenes in Mexico.

The scandal has angered Mexican officials and some members of Congress. Investigators say nearly 2,500 guns were allowed to flow illegally into Mexico under the ATF program, fueling the drug violence ravaging that country and leading to the shooting death of a U.S. border agent.

...The official said at least half a dozen cartel figures were being paid by one U.S. law enforcement agency while they were being targeted by another.

...two AK-47s purchased during the operation were found at the scene last December where U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry was shot to death near Tucson, allegedly by a Sinaloa cartel member.

A second U.S. immigration agent, Jaime Zapata, was slain in a cartel ambush in February in Mexico, and investigators now are trying to determine whether Fast and Furious weapons were used to kill him as well.

The sheer idiocy of this plan resembles the plot of a Three Stooges movie.

We need a special prosecutor.


Tuesday, July 12, 2011

More proof that Holder lied and people died

The Justice Department's "Operation Fast and Furious" supplied more than 2,000 military-grade weapons -- many of them purchased with taxpayer dollars by government informants -- to the Mexican drug cartels. Among the weapons purchased for the cartels by the American people: Barrett .50-caliber sniper rifles, AK-47 assault rifles, and FN assault pistols. Put simply, Eric Holder, probably under the direction of President Obama, was building a case for more gun control laws by shipping military-grade weapons to the cartels.

In sworn testimony, Attorney General Eric Holder denied knowledge of Gunrunner on May 3, 2011.

Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee says he does not believe Attorney General Eric Holder gave accurate testimony under oath to Congress during the House Judiciary Committee on May 3.

Asked in May when he learned of Operation “Fast and Furious” and “Project Gunrunner,” Holder claimed he ‘probably’ learned of it ‘over the last few weeks.’ In the testy exchange that followed, Issa pointed out that two Americans were killed by weapons associated with the botched operation, and that in the end, no major criminals were brought to justice. Issa also implies that the Department of Justice was deliberately slow-rolling the request for documentation about the program.

This was a flat-out lie.

He must have "forgotten" that on February 16, 2011, Senator Charles Grassley personally wrote to Holder to demand documents related to the operation. That was not a few weeks -- it was eleven or more.

I appreciate the staff briefing that Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) officials provided on February 10, 2011. However, the briefers focused on general issues related to challenges in successfully prosecuting gun trafficking cases. They refused to answer specific questions about the facts and circumstances that led me to request the briefing.

Specifically, they refused to say whether the approximately 103 weapons seized according to the Jaime Avila indictment were the only seizures related to the nearly 770 weapons mentioned in the indictment. They refused to say whether the third assault rifle purchased by Avila in January 2010—the one not found at the scene of CBP Agent Brian Terry’s shooting—has been recovered elsewhere. When asked whether ATF had encouraged any gun dealer to proceed with sales to known or suspected traffickers such as Avila, the briefers said only that they did not have any “personal knowledge” of that.

That's not all: on January 31, 2011, Holder was copied on a letter to Acting ATF Director Melson by Senator Grassley.

Again, three months or more prior to Holder's statement, he had been notified by a Senator that this operation was under investigation.

Eric Holder lied to Congress.

We need a special prosecutor. Now.


Update: Breaking story: Grassley & Issa catch Eric Holder with his cover-up underwear down around his ankles

Monday, July 11, 2011

Why is President Obama backing the Mexican drug cartels? [Papa B]

Papa B:

That's not a joke. That's a serious question. Consider:

Exhibit A: The Obama-Holder Justice Department is suing Arizona for its enforcement of federal immigration law. Arizona's SB1070 is modeled directly after the immigration law passed by Congress and signed by President Roosevelt in 1940. In other words, Mr. Obama is siding with the Mexican government and its criminal elements against American citizens. Or, in the words of Professor Terry Lovell, "Mr. Obama is on the side of the Mexican drug cartels."

Exhibit B: The Justice Department's "Operation Fast and Furious" supplied more than 2,000 military-grade weapons -- many of them purchased with taxpayer dollars by government informants -- to the Mexican drug cartels. Among the weapons purchased for the cartels by the American people: Barrett .50-caliber sniper rifles, AK-47 assault rifles, and FN assault pistols. Put simply, Eric Holder was arming the Mexican drug cartels and lying to Congress about it.

Exhibit C: The Justice Department is also requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to free illegal aliens even if they are caught committing serious crimes. Because a significant percentage of illegals caught committing crimes are members of Mexican drug cartels and other gangs, Mr. Obama is literally issuing "Get Out of Jail Free" cards to the most vicious criminals imaginable.

This is not a joke. This isn't funny.

President Obama is doing his level best to support the Mexican drug cartels. And, if that's "over-the-top", prove it. Can you show me one shred of evidence that Mr. Obama supports the American people over the drug cartels?

And one more question: are traditional Democrats so cynical that they can support these activities? I pray not.

2012 is coming.


Sunday, July 10, 2011

Allen West on Operation Fast and Furious: Eric Holder needs to go. And if Obama doesn't force Holder to resign, he's complicit

This is why we love Rep. Allen West of Florida.

Florida Republican Rep. Allen West is demanding that President Barack Obama force Attorney General Eric Holder to resign.

Appearing on Nashville radio host Steve Gill’s show last week, West said Obama would be “complicit” with what he sees as Justice Department attempts to slow down and avoid a congressional investigation into Operation Fast and Furious and Project Gunrunner if he didn’t push his attorney general to resign. “The president needs to realize that Eric Holder needs to be removed from the Department of Justice,” West said after detailing why he thinks Holder should appear before an investigative committee to testify about how the DOJ has handled its response to the Operation Fast and Furious investigation. “Or else I believe President Obama is complicit and he is in approval of the actions of his attorney general.”

Gill followed up by asking West if he thought a special prosecutor was needed to investigate Operation Fast and Furious. West said he thought so, adding that the mishandling of the operation is a part of a “trend” he sees forming at the DOJ. West said the way Holder has handled Operation Fast and Furious is reminiscent of how he handled the New Black Panther Party voter intimidation scandal.

“This is just another sad chapter in the Eric Holder book of ineptness and incompetence,” West said.

That's putting it kindly.

How does "Speaker West" sound (although, Michelle Malkin suggests -- and I agree -- that "Vice President West" sounds even better)?


Related: Holder Lied, People Died.


Hat tip: TrendingRight.com.

Saturday, July 09, 2011

Holder Lied, People Died

"Project Gun Runner" -- also known as "Operation Fast and Furious" -- was a massive firearm smuggling program orchestrated by the Department of Justice. It was ostensibly designed to monitor the flow of weapons to Mexican drug cartels. More than 2000 weapons, including military-style assault- and sniper rifles, were intentionally sold to the cartels over the protests of gun-shop owners and ATF field agents. And virtually none of the weapons were actually tracked by U.S. officials.

The murders of at least two American law enforcement officials and dozens of Mexican nationals have since been tied to these weapons.

In sworn testimony, Attorney General Eric Holder denied knowledge of Gunrunner on May 3, 2011.

Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee says he does not believe Attorney General Eric Holder gave accurate testimony under oath to Congress during the House Judiciary Committee on May 3.

Asked in May when he learned of Operation “Fast and Furious” and “Project Gunrunner,” Holder claimed he ‘probably’ learned of it ‘over the last few weeks.’ In the testy exchange that followed, Issa pointed out that two Americans were killed by weapons associated with the botched operation, and that in the end, no major criminals were brought to justice. Issa also implies that the Department of Justice was deliberately slow-rolling the request for documentation about the program. You can watch the exchange between Holder and Issa here.

Unfortunately for Holder, an April 2, 2009 speech in Cuernavaca, Mexico documented his boasts about Operation Gunrunner to Mexican authorities.

Last week, our administration launched a major new effort to break the backs of the cartels.  My department is committing 100 new ATF personnel to the Southwest border in the next 100 days to supplement our ongoing Project Gunrunner, DEA is adding 16 new positions on the border, as well as mobile enforcement teams, and the FBI is creating a new intelligence group focusing on kidnapping and extortion.

In addition, the book Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress alludes to Holder's vociferous support of these types of operations.

Holder praised Mexico-U.S. cooperation in the investigations that led to [the] indictments [of 43 Mexican drug dealers]... ...ATF has begun a new intelligence-driven effort known as Gunrunner Impact Teams (GRITs)... and beefed up its Project Gunrunner program as a part of its efforts to stop the flow of guns into Mexico... ...on August 13, 2009, DHS and DOJ, along with Mexico, signed a letter of intent to develop a coordinated, bilateral arms trafficking strategy...

Not only did Holder lie to Congress, but President Obama likewise has feigned ignorance. Yet Gunrunner was part of the "Stimulus package" signed by the President in 2009.

The original Southwest Border Violence Reduction Act of 2009 was sponsored by Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-Texas. Rodriguez's co-sponsors were two other Texans, Henry Cuellar and Silvestre Reyes, plus Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., and Harry Teague, D-N.M.

...Holder is clearly not telling the truth about his role in Gunrunner. He knew about it, boasted of it and took credit for it. Now he's orchestrating a cover-up of it. President Obama needs to man up about Gunrunner and either take responsibility for this tragedy or admit, under oath if need be, that even he didn't know what was in the stimulus bill.

During an interview with a Univision reporter that aired in March, Obama said he was "absolutely not" informed about the ATF program that deliberately funneled guns into Mexico. "I did not authorize it," he said. "Eric Holder, the attorney general, did not authorize it..."

We need a special prosecutor.


Linked by: Ace o' Spades and Sipsey Street Irregulars. Thanks!

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Ramirez and Issa weigh in on Eric Holder and Project #Gunrunner

Tonight on Fox News' Special Report, Rep. Darrell Issa -- Chairman of the House Oversight Committee -- pilloried the Justice Department and expressed extreme skepticism that Attorney General Holder was unaware of Operation "Fast and Furious".

Unbeknown to the ATF, the DEA and FBI were using paid informants as middlemen. Which means U.S. dollars were used to buy weapons... [there was almost no] physical tracking of weapons... one shipment was observed going into Mexico and then just disappeared.

[This operation] goes to the highest levels of Justice... we want answers. The ATF was kept in the dark by Justice.

We have our doubts [that Holder didn't know]... we will continue the investigation and follow it wherever it goes.

As Issa wrote earlier this week about ATF director Melson's secret testimony:

If his account is accurate, then ATF leadership appears to have been effectively muzzled while the DOJ sent over false denials and buried its head in the sand. That approach distorted the truth and obstructed our investigation.

Which means that the acting ATF director believes: Holder's DOJ lied to Congress and obstructed its investigation. Both of which, let me check -- why... yes, are crimes.

The Arizona Daily Star recently reported that the family of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry -- killed by one of Holder's Gunrunner weapons -- is considering a lawsuit. Let me be the first to suggest that one of the civil targets is Eric Holder.


Don't Fire Until You See the Whites of Their Mushroom Cloud! [Dan from New York]

Dan from New York:

Hey Iran, we’re on to you now. Did you really think you could get one past our eagle-eyed “Western analysts”?

Analysis - Iran's nuclear steps deepen Western suspicions


Wed Jul 6, 2011
By Fredrik Dahl

VIENNA (Reuters) - Expanding uranium enrichment, a new atomic energy chief said to have military expertise, missile tests -- Western analysts see fresh signs that Iran may be seeking to develop the means to build nuclear warheads. Iran's determination to press ahead with a nuclear programme it says is for purely peaceful purposes suggests that tougher Western sanctions are so far failing to force the Islamic state to back down in the long-running dispute over its atomic aims.

...But even if Tehran decided to make such weapons it could still be years away from having nuclear-armed missiles, possibly giving diplomacy more opportunities to resolve a row which has the potential to spark a Middle East conflict.

...[However,] Britain last week said Iran had carried out covert tests of a missile that could carry a nuclear warhead, an allegation which Tehran swiftly denied.

During a military exercise last week, Iran test-fired 14 missiles on one day alone, including some it says are capable of hitting its arch foe Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East.

...Tehran says its missiles cannot carry nuclear payloads and insists it is enriching uranium for electricity production and medical purposes. Making atomic bombs would be a "strategic mistake" and would also not be allowed under Islam, it adds.

But in a defiant move that further fuelled Western unease about its intentions, Iran announced last month it would shift its production of higher-grade uranium to an underground bunker and triple output capacity.

...A nuclear scientist, Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani was named head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation in February, after he was wounded in a 2010 bomb attack which Tehran blamed on Israel... The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a U.S.-based think tank, said Abbasi-Davani's extensive scientific background was "more suited to researching nuclear weapons" than building nuclear power reactors.

Not to worry, folks. With our current administration's approach of treating warfare as law enforcement, all we have to do is prepare for a radioactive crime scene.


Why are Eric Holder and Barack Obama trying an Illegal Enemy Combatant in a Civilian Court? [Allen West]

By Rep. Allen West (R-FL):

...a Somali man accused of having ties to two terrorist groups — who was secretly interrogated for months aboard a U.S. Navy ship — will be prosecuted in civilian court in New York by the Justice Department, the Obama administration said... The indictment, unsealed in the Southern District of New York, charged Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame with nine counts related to supporting Al Qaeda in Yemen and the Shabab in Somalia terror groups — but the White House didn’t reveal his capture until after he had already been brought onto American soil... [Source]

This suspected terrorist, Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame, should be tried at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as an illegal enemy combatant, following the Geneva Convention's clear instruction on the manner in which individuals accused of such actions against the United States are to be prosecuted.

The fact that President Obama continues to ignore the Authorization for Use of Military Force(AUMF) law, and the will of the American people, when it comes to this issue is unacceptable.

This suspect is accused of supplying weapons, money and training to Al qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a known enemy of the United States. We are fighting on a 21st Century Battlefield against a non-state, non-uniform belligerent enemy who has no regard for international borders or boundaries, and therefore does not deserve constitutional rights as would ordinary criminals. The laws are clear about this.

Further, it is unacceptable that the Obama administration notified Congress only after it unilaterally transferred this detainee to New York City despite multiple requests for consultation.

I visited Guantanamo Bay in March, and witnessed a state of the art courtroom, built for these very kinds of cases, that continues to sit empty and unused. I want to know why this administration believes a civilian court is better suited for prosecuting enemy hostile terrorist actions, instead of a military tribunal system. Bringing Warsame to the states, giving him representation and clogging up American courts is a waste of taxpayer resources and sends a confusing message to Americans, as well as our enemies.

To be fair, waging a war as if it were a criminal affair makes about as much sense as anything else Obama and Holder have done -- so I can't say I'm surprised by this particular debacle.


LulzSec doc drop: Arizona Officials Say Hezbollah Operating in Mexico

A document drop by LulzSec has revealed an ominous bulletin from police officials in Tucson, Arizona. In short, law enforcement is advised to be on the lookout for Hezbollah terrorists operating in the traditional smuggling corridors on our (wide-open) southern border with Mexico.

Presence in the Tri-Border Region

Made up of Puerto Iguazu, Argentina; Foz do Iguazu, Brazil; and Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, the area in South America known as the Tri-Border area (TBA), has long been considered a safe haven for organized crime and Islamic terrorist networks, including Hezbollah. As of 2002, the population of the TBA reached 630,000 of which approximately 25,000 were Arab or of Arab descent. Illegal activity in the region includes counterfeiting, money laundering, and the easy acquisition of false documents. The recent arrest of Moussa Ali Hamdan [arrested in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, for conspiring to provide material support to Hezbollah] confirms Hezbollah’s continued presence in the region.

Presence in Mexico

Based on a study done by Georgetown University, the number of immigrants from Lebanon and Syria living in Mexico exceeds 200,000. Along with Iran, Syria is one of Hezbollah’s strongest financial and political supporters, and Lebanon is its country of origin.

In July of this year, Mexican authorities arrested Jameel Nasr in Tijuana, Baja California. Nasr was alleged to be tasked with establishing the Hezbollah network in Mexico and throughout South America.

In April of last year, the arrest of Jamal Yousef – in New York City - exposed a weapons cache of 100 M-16 assault rifles, 100 AR-15 rifles, 2,500 hand grenades, C4 explosives and antitank munitions. According to Yousef, the weapons, which were being stored in Mexico, had been stolen from Iraq with the help of his cousin who was a member of Hezbollah.

With the arrest of Jameel Nasr and Jamal Yousef, obvious concerns have arisen concerning Hezbollah’s presence in Mexico and possible ties to Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTO’s) operating along the U.S. – Mexico border. The potential partnership bares alarming implications due to Hezbollah’s long established capabilities, specifically their expertise in the making of vehicle borne improvised explosive devises (VBIED’s).

Recent incidents involving the use of VBIED’s in Mexico mark a significant change in tactics employed by DTO’s and conjures images expected to be seen in the Middle East. While no connection has been made, Hezbollah’s extensive use of VBIED’s raises strong suspicion concerning a possible relation to Mexico’s DTO’s.


Wonderful.

But, by all means, Democrats: let's not build a secure border fence on our southern border.

Because what could possibly go wrong with Hezbollah terrorists, who are assisting Mexican drug cartels, which have been armed and equipped by Eric Holder's Department of Justice?


Related:
25 Apr 2011: Officials now finding IEDs on bridges in 'safe as it's ever been' border area
27 Aug 2010: Car Bombs -- With Texas License Plates
17 Jul 2010: Hezbollah-style Car Bomb Kills Four Near Texas Border

Linked by: The Tatler, The Jawa Report, Atlas Shrugs, JihadWatch and Memeorandum. Thanks!

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Gunrunner Bombshell: ATF Director Secretly Testifies That DOJ Lied to Congress and Obstructed Its Investigation

ATF Director Ken Melson secretly testified Monday before the House Oversight Committee concerning Project Gunwalker -- without the knowledge of either the Justice Department or the ATF. Most importantly, he directly refuted the official "party line" coming from Washington regarding "Operation Fast and Furious":

• Contrary to denials by the DOJ, Melson said agents had witnessed transfers of weapons from straw purchasers to third parties without following the guns further

• The team executing Operation Fast and Furious had been placed under the direction of the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s office

• The DOJ is reported to have intentionally withheld documents from Congress that Melson has now provided to the Committee

As a result of that meeting, the Committee issued a scathing open letter to Attorney General Eric Holder accusing him of stonewalling the investigation into "Operation Gunrunner", the disastrous effort to smuggle weapons to Mexican drug cartels for reasons not yet fully understood.

Dear Attorney General Holder:

Yesterday, Acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson participated in a transcribed interview regarding Operation Fast and Furious and related matters with both Republican and Democratic staff. He appeared with his personal counsel, Richard Cullen of McGuire Woods LLP. His interview had originally been scheduled through the Justice Department to occur on July 13 in the presence of DOJ and ATF counsel. As you know, however, under our agreement Department witnesses who choose to attend a voluntary interview with their own lawyer are free to exercise that right rather than participate with counsel representing the Department's interests.

After being made aware of that provision of our agreement, Acting Director Melson chose to exercise that right and appeared with his own lawyer. We are disappointed that no one had previously informed him of that provision of the agreement. Instead, Justice Department officials sought to limit and control his communications with Congress. This is yet another example of why direct communications with Congress are so important and are protected by law.

Acting Director Melson's cooperation was extremely helpful to our investigation. He was candid in admitting mistakes that his agency made and described various ways he says that he tried to remedy the problems. According to Mr. Melson, it was not until after the public controversy that he personally reviewed hundreds of documents relating to the case, including wiretap applications and Reports of Investigation (ROIs). By his account, he was sick to his stomach when he obtained those documents and learned the full story. Mr. Melson said that he told the Office of the Deputy Attorney General (ODAG) at the end of March that the Department needed to reexamine how it was responding to the requests for information from Congress.

According to Mr. Melson, he and ATF's senior leadership team moved to reassign every manager involved in Fast and Furious, from the Deputy Assistant Director for Field Operations down to the Group Supervisor, after learning the facts in those documents. Mr. Melson also said he was not allowed to communicate to Congress the reasons for the reassignments. He claimed that ATF's senior leadership would have preferred to be more cooperative with our inquiry much earlier in the process.

However, he said that Justice Department officials directed them not to respond and took full control of replying to briefing and document requests from Congress. The result is that Congress only got the parts of the story that the Department wanted us to hear. If his account is accurate, then ATF leadership appears to have been effectively muzzled while the DOJ sent over false denials and buried its head in the sand. That approach distorted the truth and obstructed our investigation. The Department's inability or unwillingness to be more forthcoming served to conceal critical information that we are now learning about the involvement of other agencies, including the DEA and the FBI.

The Role of DEA, FBI, and Other Agencies


When confronted with information about serious issues involving lack of information sharing by other agencies, which Committee staff had originally learned from other witnesses, Mr. Melson's responses tended to corroborate what others had said.

Specifically, we have very real indications from several sources that some of the gun trafficking "higher-ups" that the ATF sought to identify were already known to other agencies and may even have been paid as informants. The Acting Director said that ATF was kept in the dark about certain activities of other agencies, including DEA and FBI. Mr. Melson said that he learned from ATF agents in the field that information obtained by these agencies could have had a material impact on the Fast and Furious Government Accountability Office, "Department of Health and Human Services-Chief Actuary's Communications with Congress," B-302911 (Sep. 7, 2004) (discussing the history and background in support of the government-wide prohibition on attempts to prevent direct communications with Congress). As you know, obstructing or impeding a Congressional inquiry is also a criminal violation under 18 U.S.C. § 1505. investigation as far back as late 2009 or early 2010. After learning about the possible role of DEA and FBI, he testified that he reported this information in April 2011 to the Acting Inspector General and directly to then-Acting Deputy Attorney General James Cole on June 16, 2011.

The evidence we have gathered raises the disturbing possibility that the Justice Department not only allowed criminals to smuggle weapons but that taxpayer dollars from other agencies may have financed those engaging in such activities. While this is preliminary information, we must find out if there is any truth to it. According to Acting Director Melson, he became aware of this startling possibility only after the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and the indictments of the straw purchasers, which we now know were substantially delayed by the u.s. Attorney's Office and Main Justice. Mr. Melson provided documents months ago supporting his concerns to the official in the ODAG responsible for document production to the Committees, but those documents have not been provided to us.

It is one thing to argue that the ends justify the means in an attempt to defend a policy that puts building a big case ahead of stopping known criminals from getting guns. Yet it is a much more serious matter to conceal from Congress the possible involvement of other agencies in identifying and maybe even working with the same criminals that Operation Fast and Furious was trying to identify. If this information is accurate, then the whole misguided operation might have been cut short if not for catastrophic failures to share key information. If agencies within the same Department, co-located at the same facilities, had simply communicated with one another, then ATF might have known that gun trafficking "higher-ups" had been already identified. This raises new and serious questions about the role of DEA, FBI, the United States Attorney's Office in Arizona, and Main Justice in coordinating this effort. Nearly a decade after the September 11th attacks, the stovepipes of information within our government may still be causing tragic mistakes long after they should have been broken down.

Efforts to Oust Melson


In the last few weeks, unnamed administration officials have indicated to the press that Acting Director Melson would be forced to resign. According to Mr. Melson, those initial reports were untrue. Regardless of what we might have thought before about how he should handle a request to resign, we now know he has not been asked to resign. We also now have the benefit of hearing his side of the story and will have a chance to examine what he said and compare it to the other evidence we are gathering. However, that will take some time.

Mr. Melson served as the First Assistant to the U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia for 21 years, from 1986 to 2007. That is a career position. After the controversy over the firing of the U.S. Attorneys, he took over the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA). He indicated that he was asked to convert to a non-career Senior Executive Service (SES), a politically appointed position, in order to speed the hiring process, and he agreed. However, his former position at EOUSA is currently filled by a career SES employee, Marshall Jarrett. As you know, for civil servants, the distinction between career and non-career status is significant. In 2009, he said he was asked to take over as Acting Director of the ATF. Acting Director of the ATF is by its nature a temporary job. According to Mr. Melson, he was willing to serve the Department with the understanding that after a short tenure as Acting Director, he would return to a position as a career senior executive elsewhere within the Department.

However, two days after he told Acting Deputy Attorney General Cole about serious issues involving lack of information sharing, the Wall Street Journal reported that unnamed sources said that Melson was about to be ousted. The revelations about Operation Fast and Furious have focused intense scrutiny on the ATF. It has no doubt taken a toll on the agency and the good people who work there. Much of that damage has occurred because the Department prevented ATF from being more forthcoming and responsive to questions from Congress. This is the context in which Mr. Melson decided to submit to an on-the-record interview with private counsel, pursuant to our agreement with the Department.

Technically, Mr. Melson no longer enjoys the due process protections afforded to career officials. Given his testimony, unless a permanent director is confirmed, it would be inappropriate for the Justice Department to take action against him that could have the effect of intimidating others who might want to provide additional information to the Committees.

We hope that the Department will take a much more candid and forthcoming approach in addressing these very serious matters with the Committees. If other important fact witnesses like Mr. Melson have a desire to communicate directly with the Committees they should be informed that they are free to do so. They should also be notified that if they are represented by personal counsel, they may appear with personal counsel rather than with Department lawyers. Any decision about Mr. Melson's future with the Department would need to be justified solely on the basis of the facts and the needs of the agency, rather than on his decision to speak to us. We encourage you to communicate to us any additional significant information about any such decision so that we can work together to ensure that it would not impede our investigation. For now, the Office of Inspector General is still conducting its review, and we are still conducting ours. Knowing what we know so far, we believe it would be inappropriate to make Mr. Melson the fall guy in an attempt to prevent further congressional oversight.

Sincerely,

Darrell Issa, Chairman
Committee on Oversight & Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives

Charles E. Grassley, Ranking Mmember
Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate

This story keeps expanding -- it is far, far worse than Iran-Contra ever was. And even legacy media -- ABC, Bloomberg, NPR, Reuters, US News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, etc. -- are now reporting on the story.

Of course, if you read The New York Times, you'd have no idea any of this had occurred.

Obstructing a Congressional investigation is a crime. It's clear that Gunrunner goes to the very top of the DOJ and, perhaps, even beyond it.


Linked by: TrendingRight (hit #1!). Thanks!