ATF whistleblower site posts Fast and Furious manager’s OK to work for JPMorgan




would ATF management let a 'Gunwalker' figure cited as vulnerable for prosecution do this?

A question asked almost two months ago in this column was answered yesterday by a post on CleanUpATF, the website established by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives whistleblowers to expose agency waste, abuse, corruption and fraud: Who approved “double-dip” employment for former Assistant Director William McMahon, a central Operation Fast and Furious “gunwalking’ figure, going on paid leave while accepting private employment and an overseas assignment with financial giant JPMorgan?

The approval document, posted as a pdf file on CUATF, reveals the approving authorities were Assistant Director Julie Torres, Deputy Director Thomas Brandon and Deputy Chief Counsel Melanie S. Stinnett. Gun Rights Examiner posted an exclusive report in September presenting allegations that theChief Counsel’s Office is still running the show at ATF, organizational appearances notwithstanding, and was later informed by an insider source that report raised hackles.

“Word I heard was Brandon and Julie Torres signed off on it,” whistleblower Vince Cefalu posted in September, demonstrating the reliability of his sources and insights for accuracy. Cefalu was unceremoniously canned after over 25 years of service in a Denny’s restaurant parking lot this week, a story reported Wednesday in this column, a day before Fox News picked it up. A related exclusive story, featuring a secret video recording of the termination was published in this column on Thursday, again a story then picked up by other news sites.

The McMahon employment arrangement was significant for several reasons, including the fact that the financial services conglomerate is the credit card provider for ATF. But more alarming, particularly considering his assignment would take him out of the country, is a statement House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa made to Greta Van Susteren of Fox News in August.

“This is somebody who our reports said perjured himself before the Congress,” Issa charged. “We don’t understand why JPMorgan would hire somebody who’s lied to Congress, that will probably be referred for criminal prosecution.”

One adviser perceives that there are billions of potential reasons why the bankers might be inclined to be helpful to the feds. Upon reviewing the approval form, attorney David T. Hardycalled the approval “Extraordinary” and offered the opinion that the authorization was “meant to facilitate McMahon hiding out overseas,” and allowing him to return “when things cool down.
“If he meant to leave ATF and go to work for JPMorgan, he'd simply have resigned from ATF and started his new job.” Hardy surmised. “But this refers to him being on ‘extended leave, while filing annual reports. That must be leave without pay (LWOP). In federal employ, you can only carry over 30 days of paid leave time into the next year, whereas this envisions a much longer period.

“I can't see any other reason for doing it this way,” he observed.

As the file posted on CUATF appears to require authorization to access, a copy has been posted to this correspondent’s Scribd account for wider public access.

ATF whistleblower site posts Fast and Furious manager