Trump administration to turn over documents related to Obama-era Operation Fast and F
Trump administration to turn over documents related to Obama-era Operation Fast and Furious
By Brooke Singman | Fox News
1 hour ago
The Trump administration settled with a House Committee to turn over documents from Obama-era Operation Fast and Furious withheld by former Attorney General Eric Holder.
The Justice Department said Wednesday it will turn over documents withheld by former Attorney General Eric Holder related to the Operation Fast and Furious scandal during the Obama administration.
The Justice Department entered into a conditional settlement agreement with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The settlement agreement was filed in federal court in Washington D.C., and ends six years of litigation arising out of the previous administration’s refusal to produce records requested by the committee.
“The Department of Justice under my watch is committed to transparency and the rule of law,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement Wednesday. “This settlement agreement is an important step to make sure that the public finally receives all the facts related to Operation Fast and Furious.”
The Obama-era operation was a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) operation in which the federal government allowed criminals to buy guns in Phoenix-area shops with the intention of tracking them as they were transported into Mexico. But the agency lost track of more than 1,400 of the 2,000 guns they allowed smugglers to buy.
“For over six years, the House Oversight Committee has fought for additional documents related to Operation Fast and Furious. Today, the Committee finally reached a conditional settlement with the Department of Justice,” Amanda Gonzalez, spokeswoman for the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement to Fox News. “The Committee seeks all relevant facts so we can learn from the mistakes made by the Justice Department. We have a responsibility to uncover why they worked so hard to hide this information from the Committee, the family of [slain border patrol agent] Brian Terry, and the American people.”
The Trump administration’s decision came just one day after Terry's brother urged President Trump to “reopen the books” and get to the bottom of the scandal.
Brian Terry was killed in 2010 by an illegal immigrant with a weapon used in the botched Operation Fast and Furious. Terry died in a gunfight between Border Patrol agents and members of a six-man cartel “rip crew,” which patrolled the desert along the U.S.-Mexico border looking for drug dealers to rob. The cartel member suspected of killing Terry was apprehended in 2017.
“We need to find out the truth, exactly what happened, how it happened, why it happened,” Kent Terry said on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday. “We need Mr. Trump, President Trump, to unseal the documents, reverse executive privilege so that we know what happened, and that we can hold the people accountable that are responsible.”
Terry, who met Trump on the campaign trail, said the president was “very apologetic for the actions that the previous administration did.”
“He was very sincere about getting answers,” Terry said. “He said it was shameful and that I think Mr. Sessions should step up and re-open the case, re-investigate it and hold those accountable.”
The White House has yet to release an official statement on the Justice Department’s settlement.
The House Oversight Committee did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018...d-furious.html
Slain Border Agent’s Brother Thanks Trump, Slams Holder: AG Jeff Sessions Needs to Re
Slain Border Agent’s Brother Thanks Trump, Slams Holder: AG Jeff Sessions Needs to Restore DOJ
http://media.breitbart.com/media/201...AP-640x480.jpg
by MICHELLE MOONS
9 Mar 2018
Kent Terry, brother to slain Border Patrol agent Brian Terry, called for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to restore the justice system while lauding President Trump for his administration’s campaign promise kept to “open up the books” on his brother’s death.
Terry told Fox News on Friday morning, “As you can see we were a little emotionally relieved yesterday. It’s been a long road for us of being lied to and misled.” He said after yesterday they’re “heading in the right direction.”
Agent Brian Terry was killed in December 2010 by a seven-times deported illegal alien who shot Terry with a gun from the Obama-era “Fast and Furious” gun-walking program. Then-Attorney General Eric Holder was later held in contempt of congress for withholding government documents related to the scandalous program.
On Wednesday the Department of Justice announced that it had entered into a “conditional settlement agreement with the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and will begin to produce additional documents related to Operation Fast and Furious.”
Terry was asked in the Friday Fox interview if anyone has reached out to him since news broke of the new document release. He said that Rep. Darrell Issa reached out to Terry’s mother on Thursday and that she was told that others in the DOJ would be reaching out to her again.
He was asked about the new Trump administration and the decision to turn over the documents.
“First of all, I want to thank President Trump for what he’s done,” said Terry. “We’ve come a long ways with Trump. I think he’s on the right ball, going down the right road with everybody.”
“Mr. Sessions needs to restore the justice system that [former Attorney General Eric] Holder messed up,” he added.
Terry was asked about Holder’s promises to him and his family to get justice for the family.
Terry continued:
“[Holder] told us that he would hold those responsible accountable, which we found out he was involved in it, so how’s the DOJ going to protect…investigate themselves? That was very upsetting to us, he did that.
“Then to find out that they were talking about wiretapping our family, calling us a nuisance because we wanted answers, and some other stuff they said along the way.
Terry said that Sessions has shown them that “he is headed in the right direction and maybe he will restore the justice system that America needs.”
Asked whether he thinks his family will get to see the documents that are being released from the DOJ to Congress, Terry replied with hesitation, questioning whether such documents would be redacted, but hopeful.
“I’ll pretty much believe it when I see it,” he said, adding that “the truth” is the family’s main concern – “That’s all we want and I hope these documents come forward and that they’re not redacted and they’re not misleading us again” by holding back some of the documents for years longer. “I hope they’re transparent.”
Terry discussed a promise that Trump made to him at a Trump presidential campaign rally, “I met with him. I shook his hand.” Terry described Trump as “very sincere about this country. He is, you can see it.” Trump was also apologetic for Brian Terry’s death, “apologizing for the previous administration.”
“He promised when he became president he was going to open up the books in my brother’s death and he did,” said Terry.
On March 3 Terry tweeted out a photo of a July 2014 letter from Holder to Terry that pledged to hold those responsible for Agent Brian Terry’s murder accountable.
Kent terry
@terry_superman
Mar 3
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#FastAndFurious @realDonaldTrump Sir it's been 7 yrs .my family ask you reopen Obama's gun scandal that cost my brother his life..I talk to you back on the campaign trail here in Michigan and you offered to reopen the books into this senseless scandal .thank you.God bless
Kent terry
@terry_superman
Follow Follow @terry_superman
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@realDonaldTrump @TGowdySC @Lrihendry @seanhannity this is the promise I got from @EricHolder for #FastAndFurious #Scandal @POTUS we been lied and promised Justice
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3:01 PM - 3 Mar 2018 from Lincoln Park, MI
Terry also tweeted out a plea to President Trump, asking him to “…reopen Obama’s gun scandal that cost my brother his life…”
Kent terry
@terry_superman
#FastAndFurious @realDonaldTrump Sir it's been 7 yrs .my family ask you reopen Obama's gun scandal that cost my brother his life..I talk to you back on the campaign trail here in Michigan and you offered to reopen the books into this senseless scandal .thank you.God bless
He has been outspoken in television interviews about the case over the past week.
“The Department of Justice under my watch is committed to transparency and the rule of law,” AG Sessions said upon the Wednesday news of the DOJ document release settlement. Sessions called it “an important step to make sure that the public finally receives all the facts related to Operation Fast and Furious.”
http://www.breitbart.com/big-governm...o-restore-doj/
