Thread: ATF Chief Testifies Before Congress in Secret Over Controver

ATF Chief Testifies Before Congress in Secret Over Controversial Gun Program

July 06, 2011 1:55 PM
27 Comments

ABC's Jason Ryan (@JasonRyanABC) reports: The acting head of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire Arms agency, facing scrutiny over a controversial gun program across the U.S. - Mexico border linked to the death of a Border Patrol agent last year, appeared secretly before Congressional investigators on July 4 with his own private attorney, rather than lawyers from the Justice Department.

According to sources close to the investigation, ATF Acting Direction Ken Melson had previously wanted to testify before the oversight committees but Justice Department officials sought to delay his testimony.

Melson’s testimony came weeks after three current ATF agents who were involved in the program known as “Fast and Furiousâ€

related article.

http://dailycaller.com/2011/07/06/issa- ... en-melson/





Issa, Grassley blast Holder in letter after secret meeting with ATF’s Ken Melson

Published: 10:20 AM 07/06/2011 | Updated: 12:03 PM 07/06/2011
By Matthew Boyle - The Daily Caller
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Matthew Boyle is a reporter at The Daily Caller. He studied journalism at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, where he worked as an editor at the school's newspaper, The Gargoyle.

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Top Republican lawmakers have authored an explosive new letter containing details of secret testimony by acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson, which reveal for the first time the extent to which his agency was involved in an international gun selling scandal.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, California Republican, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa Republican, fired off the letter to Attorney General Eric Holder Tuesday detailing what Melson told Congressional investigators in a secret July 4 testimony.

One key takeaway from the meeting was that Melson acknowledged to investigators that agents had witnessed transfers of weapons from straw purchasers to third parties without following the guns afterwards. Straw purchasers are people who could technically legally buy guns in the U.S. but their intent was to turn around and sell them to drug cartels in Mexico.

Another point Melson clarified for investigators was that the ATF group carrying out the mission of Operation Fast and Furious was placed under the direction of the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s office. The U.S. Attorney in Arizona, Dennis Burke, is a political appointee of the Obama administration.

Melson appeared with only his personal attorney at the secret meeting with Congressional investigators. Melson was originally scheduled to conduct the interview on July 13 with Justice Department attorneys and his personal attorney present, but Melson abandoned DOJ representation after learning of a provision in his agreement to testify that allowed him to do so. (Issa staffer: Gunrunner investigation points much higher than ATF director)

“We are disappointed that no one had previously informed him of that provision of the agreement,â€

Mealson said, "I'm not the Obama meal".

The bus was up to speed, this ATF boss was placed in front of the bus, but he moved. Others will now do the same. Then someone will break and rat the deal out. They will use the msm, but the facts will just leak, leak and leak until the big boys do the you first on the bus deal.

The Chicago Way will kick in and the big bus will grind gears.

Totally related:
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-242715.html