“A long-awaited report on the U.S. government’s controversial gun-trafficking operation known as ‘Fast and Furious’ released Wednesday found no evidence that Attorney General Eric Holder knew of the botched effort to trace the flow of guns to Mexico’s drug cartels prior to its public unraveling in January 2011,” nbcnews.com reports. [Click here for the Inspector General’s redacted report A review of ATF’s Operation Fast and Furious and Related Matters.] The main mainstream media is touting this as a big thumbs up for the AG . . .
AG Holder cleared in Justice gunwalking probe CBS proclaims. But the chorus isn’t quite as loud and proud as you might expect. That may have something to do with the Inspector General report’s otherwise damning nature. US ‘Fast and Furious’ report refers 14 for discipline Reuters headlines.
True dat. The Inspector General recommended 14 government employees, including Assistant AG Lanny Breuer, face “possible” internal discipline. And the IG traced foreknowledge of the ATF program—which enabled the sale of firearms to drug thugs, one of more of which a “rip crew” used to murder U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry—to acting deputy attorney general, Gary Grindler.
The IG said that Gazza received a Fast and Furious heads-up in March 2010, but the briefing “failed to alert Grindler to problems in the investigation.” ‘Cause he couldn’t have figured out the idea that allowing cartel members to buy and smuggle firearms from U.S. gun stores without supervision could lead to problems like, I dunno, people getting shot with those firearms.
That was the problem wasn’t it? It sure was for Brian Terry. And it beggars to belief that Gazza made no mention of nada to Holder. I reckon the House Oversight Committee has some evidence of its own in regard to who knew what when; despite the fact that the President of the United States has claimed executive privilege on documents related to the ATF’s stingless sting.
The Inspector General will appear in front of the committee tomorrow morning at 9am. It will be quite a show (click here and save this link for live streaming). Committee jefe Congressman Darrell Issa is all over F&F. In advance of his IG evisceration, Issa has released a statement about today’s report. It reads, in part . . .
The Inspector General’s report confirms findings by Congress’ investigation of a near total disregard for public safety in Operation Fast and Furious. Contrary to the denials of the Attorney General and his political defenders in Congress, the investigation found that information in wiretap applications approved by senior Justice Department officials in Washington did contain red flags showing reckless tactics and faults Attorney General Eric Holder’s inner circle for their conduct.
Former Deputy Attorney General Gary Grindler, Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer who heads the Criminal Division, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jason Weinstein, Arizona U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke, and Holder’s own Deputy Chief of Staff Monty Wilkinson are all singled out for criticism in the report. It’s time for President Obama to step in and provide accountability for officials at both the Department of Justice and ATF who failed to do their jobs. Attorney General Holder has clearly known about these unacceptable failures yet has failed to take appropriate action for over a year and a half.
And here’s an interesting fact that the mainstream media has (so far) ignored:
The Inspector General has indicated he will continue his investigation of matters related to Operation Fast and Furious, including retaliation against whistleblowers and an effort to have the Justice Department unseal wiretap applications sealed by courts that were approved by senior officials. The Congressional investigation will also continue to seek documents wrongfully withheld from Congress.
The race against the clock to uncover the truth about Eric Holder and Barack Obama’s knowledge of Fasta and Furious and participation in the resulting coverup before election day continues. Much more tomorrow, after the Hearing.
“The Inspector General, who is appointed by the President subject to Senate confirmation, reports to the Attorney General and Congress. The OIG investigates alleged violations of criminal and civil laws by DOJ employees and also audits and inspects DOJ programs.”
http://www.justice.gov/oig/
Yeah, I totally trust someone appointed by the President and working for Eric Holder to search real hard for the truth about his boss’s involvement.
“I think I’m going to have a heart attack and die of ‘not surprised’.”
So now that Holder has supposedly been cleared of wrongdoing, the POTUS will lift the “Executive Privilege” bestowed on him???
For some reason, I am NOT going to be holding my breath……
GOLLY GEE ! Holder sounds just like Obama, when the Teleprompter Breaks…
The IG ain’t stupid. He knows who signs his payroll checks twice a month, and its not the U.S. Constitution. Naming Holder as a culprit would be a suicide mission;true though it is, that’s the quickest way for the IG to make an enemy out of the current POTUS. In that outcome, his report would be buried and the entire leftist media would be after the IG like brown on poop.
So everybody of equal or lower rank to the IG is at fault, cause sh*t can’t roll uphill.
Am I really supposed to believe that Holder, even if he had no fore-knowledge of the plan (doubtful), is not in any way culpable even though we know he had post-knowledge of the plan and failed to act on it, other than initiate a full spin-cycle and then get busted on it?
Even if he had absolutely nothing to do with any of it, before or after, he should resign from the sheer shame of not being able to stay on top of his people’s activities.
Nothing to see here, move along.
They got that done before the elections, didn’t they
Holder will be the first pardon Obama issues, and we will never see the truth come to light.
At least, not for about 99 years.
Obama needs to be brought up on charges of obstruction. This is freaking ridiculous. If Holder/Obama didnt have prior knowledge of this why would they hide it through executive privilege? Pretty damning evidence that they were somehow involved with this, and when the proverbial S went into the fan, disowned it.
It looks like based on the letter, everyone except Holder was in it up to their eye balls.
Something tells me someone is going to break at some point here. I smell a rat, and eventually it will have to emerge from the shadows.
I am glad Issa is running this to ground. I can’t seem to understand how a person held in contempt of congress, continuing to withhold evidence, and pretty much ling to everyone still has his job.
Then again Kathleen Sebelius was found guilty of the hatch act and doesn’t even get a public censure! Under Bush there was someone who violated that law and was terminated right away.
As for the 14 they will get a reprimand, and a raise along with reassignment. LOL
The list goes on and on…
DOJ infringing on State’s sovereignty in regard to ensuring accurate voter roles.
States being sued because they want to enforce laws that are already in place regarding illegal immigration.
Sigh..
I feel like lady GaGa, but opposite. If Obama wins we should split up the country.
It would be funny to watch the states secede from the union. I would be moving in short order of course. 🙂
We would have to have some sort of land trade or something. Too many borders if we split purely red states and blue states. Anyone who supports the Constitution and upholds it to its word gets one half of the country, every other freedom hating schmuck can have the other half.
Course all the oil, coal, and natural gas would be owned by the red states. I can only imagine how much tax revenue they would make lol
“The Inspector General recommended 14 government employees, including Assistant AG Lanny Breuer, face “possible” internal discipline”
Let me guess: in exchange for their silence and getting off easy the “Infamous 14” will accept slaps on the wrists and some public spankings. Later, when things quiet down they will get promotions.
Not exactly a whitewash, but pretty close. The IG got no testimony from Restrepo, Kelly or Cunningham. Holder’s inner circle was in it up to their eyeballs and he didn’t have a clue? That is simply not credible.
Tomorrow’s hearing should be interesting.
Greg, it’s more like a “blackwash”, in this case.
I see what you did there, lol.
Holder has spent his entire life doing Favors for the corrupt, this report does nothing to clear him
Two things come to my mind here. First of all was the sign that was on President Truman’s desk that simply stated, “The Buck Stops Here.” The second was the the Captain of the U.S.S. Cole, Commander Lippold, who despite a finding in his favor by the JAG was denied further promotion and retired at his present rank.
Bottom line – whether Holder really knew anything or not (and I’d be shocked if he was as ignorant as the IG’s report suggests), he is still the guy who was responsible for the debacle and should be held accountable.
Sit tight folks, November 6th will be here shortly.
Thats what Im afraid of…
He would gain some respect if he did the right thing. Even if he didn’t know he should have known and must except that there have been failings on his watch. I wonder if he feels that his resignation might be seen as an admission of guilt and lay him open to civil proceedings from the Terry family?
Along with most if not all of the commenters here, color me skeptical. If Holder has nothing to hide, why is he still hiding things?
If I were Romney the next time the big O asked me to release more tax returns, I’d say: “Sure no problem. I’ll make you a deal. You release all of the requested F&F documents to Issa and I’ll release tax returns. This obviously isn’t about tax policy, its about looking for something to ding me on. I suspect that there’s more than a ding in those F&F documents. What are you hiding, Mr. President?”