Thursday, October 27, 2011

Reps. Chaffetz and Gowdy Seek Information From President Obama On Flawed Fast & Furious Program

Congressmen ask Administration to come clean on what they knew and when

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, October 14, 2011, Representatives Chaffetz (UT-03) and Gowdy (SC-04) sent a letter to President Obama seeking information in the “Fast and Furious” investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

The letter asks what the President knew about the investigation and when he learned of it.  This is significant information because both President Obama and Attorney General Holder have spoken about when they were informed of "problems" with the investigation.  Reps. Chaffetz and Gowdy believe "Fast and Furious” was a flawed investigation from its origin.

"We’re looking for answers," said Chaffetz.  "I hope Mr. Holder will come before the Congress and clear up this glaring discrepancy.  The President promised he would help get to the bottom of these questions and hold people accountable.  We have a number of questions for Mr. Holder to answer."

According to Congressman Gowdy, a former state and federal prosecutor who handled scores of firearms cases, "Fast and Furious was both ill-conceived and ill-executed, and any investigation that relies on 'gun-walking' and the recovery of guns at crimes scenes is so fundamentally flawed that whoever approved it needs to be disciplined.  Allowing guns to walk away from law enforcement surveillance into another country is serious enough, but adding to that, what seems to be ATF's plan to wait to recapture these guns at crimes scenes – after yet another law is violated – is frankly astonishing in its ineptitude.  So, it is not enough for me to know when the President and Attorney General learned of so-called 'problems' with 'Fast and Furious' - 'Fast and Furious' was a problem from its very inception."

The Committees on the Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform have been focused on "Fast and Furious" for months.  To date, ATF Director Ken Melson has stepped down and U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke has resigned.  Attorney General Holder continues to deny prior knowledge of the investigation, but documents show he had been informed of the operation more than six months before his May 3rd testimony in a Judiciary Committee hearing focused on Department of Justice Oversight.

 

Congressman Chaffetz 

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