After an hour or so, my impression is that Horowitz has done a very good job, as far as it went. I congratulate him and his staff.
The summary so far is that there were many breakdowns in bureaucratic oversight at eh Eric Holder, Lanny Breuer, Jason Weinstein (Lanny Breuer deputy), Gary Grindler, etc, all the way down to the Phoenix attorneys. All involved seem incredulous that the AG wasn't told that F&F guns were involved in the death of Brian Terry.
Stephen Lynch asked if the report proves the AG "knew" about the gun walking. The answer is that the report states they did not find evidence that he did. But this is proving a negative. It probably cannot be yet known if Holder knew or not. "We struggled to understand how a operation of this importance was not briefed up."
Patrick Meehan R-Pen asked about why they kept discussing covering up what they were doing. Horowitz said it appeared they were concerned about looking bad and not to preserve the public good. Question about Mexico connection: Weinstein should have known because he went to Mexico and the briefing he got seemed to have enough info in it. The failure to inquire is the part people can't understand. Where is the duty to inquire? Horowitz: There is why we have recommendation that Deputy AGs must review wiretaps.
Were the summary wiretap memoes sufficient" Yes, they should have triggered more inverstigation by teh Detuy AGs. There was a large volume of wiretap apllications, which seems to be an excuse for poor review. Horowitz: Congress has provided the 4th Amend right being invaded with wiretaps. Thus each application needs a sufficient review. Wiretaps are "such a significant event..."
Clraification of gun walking:
Dan Burton, R-Indiana: Did you know anything about the recent news report on emials that Tracy Smaller at DOJ Public affairs sent to Media Matters? Horowitz: I have seen news but have not investigated.
Issa: Please talk about whistle-blowers. Hororwitz: It takes a lot of courage to come forward.
Issa: Does report vindicate them? Hororwitz: "It certainly does from my pint of view." "I have put in place a whistle-blower ombudsman in my office."
Raul Labrador, R-Idaho: Press saying Holder vindicated. But the strawman agruement is that Holder's testimony was not in light of report. He could have been lying. Horowitz: We didn't look at truthfulness of letters (Feb 4 letter was retracted and May 2 letter that is literately true but could be misleading) or question DOJ about what they did or didn't provide to the IG. Labrador: Would all the time spent by IG been necessary if DOJ had provided the same info to Congress? Horowitz: It might have been different, maybe less hours spent.
Ron Barber, R-AZ: Thanks for report and for coming to AZ this week for dedication of Border Patrol Station to Brian Terry. Brian's family still want to know what happened to Brian Terry and why and who is accountable. (It took Holder months to even call the Terry Family and then only because of humiliation by the Committee.)
Horowitz: New supervisory review steps now in place. New rules in place.
Barber: Was family deliberately keep in dark. Was this discussed in Dept? Horowitz: I don't recall seeing discussions of what to tell Terry family.
Barber: Did US AG have orders to not interdict? Horowitz: Both US AGs a and agents made tactical decision to not interdict.
Issa: Was this exuberance of ambition for career moves? Horowitz: The wiretaps may have been evidence of that ambition. Also, effort to keep ICE out of the operation may be evidence.
No comments:
Post a Comment