Fast & Furious: Another FNDD on Nov 18

FNDD = Friday Night Document Dump

Judicial Watch has finally received the documents referenced in the Vaughn Index from early in November -  see my post on November 5.

Judicial Watch Statement on Release of Enormous Trove of DOJ Fast and Furious Documents

NOVEMBER 20, 2014

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it received from the Obama Department of Justice (DOJ) on November 18, 2014, a large production of documents pertaining to Operation Fast and Furious. The documents were forced out of the Obama administration through a June 2012 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and subsequent September 2012 FOIA lawsuit (Judicial Watch v. Department of Justice (No. 1:12-cv-01510)).

A total of 10,112 documents, comprised of approximately 42,000 pages, were disclosed to Judicial Watch in the new production.  The documents are being posted and most are now available on the Judicial Watch Internet site at http://www.judicialwatch.org/fast-furious-documents-released/.

Judicial Watch is asking people, in a crowdsourcing manner, to search for interesting things (read illegal) in these documents.

Also note that many of these documents just released by the "most transparent administration in history" are completely or almost completely redacted.

Also note that no one has yet seen any of these documents display a desire to get to the bottom of what happened in F&F.  It is all about CYA, attacks on Sharyl Atkisson, and attempts to justify the assertion of executive privilege, etc.

Fast & Furious: Finally Proof that Eric Holder and White House Covered Up

Judicial Watch last week finally received the thousands of document they have been fighting for in Court for two years.

Oops, sorry, not the documents themselves!  But they have received the Vaughn Index.  This is the index of all the documents that the Government did not release because President Obama claimed Executive Privilege.

From this index it is obvious that many of the documents and emails are actually not covered by executive privilege.  Such as, emails between Eric Holder and his wife where they discuss how they are working on keeping the documents from becoming public. 

This process began when Eric Holder was about to be held in Contempt of Congress and Obama declared executive privilege in an attempt to protect the Attorney General for stonewalling Congress.  Holder resigned in August, two days after a judge agreed that the Vaughn Index (1307 pages) and the documents (15662) must be released.

Listen to the interviews with Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch on the NRA News Cam & Company on October 24.  Also listen to the Cam & Company interview with John Hinderaker on Oct 27.  See www.nranews.com

Also go to the Judicial Watch web site at www.judicialwatch.org   and see a summary:  http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-obtains-key-fast-furious-information/

"Based on a preliminary review of the massive document, Judicial Watch can disclose that the Vaughn index reveals:

• Numerous emails that detail Attorney General Holder’s direct involvement in crafting talking points, the timing of public disclosures, and handling Congressional inquiries in the Fast and Furious matter.

• President Obama has asserted executive privilege over nearly 20 email communications between Holder and his spouse Sharon Malone.  The administration also claims that the records are also subject to withholding under the “deliberative process” exemption. This exemption ordinarily exempts from public disclosure records that could chill internal government deliberations.

• Numerous entries detail DOJ’s communications (including those of Eric Holder) concerning the White House about Fast and Furious.

• The scandal required the attention of virtually every top official of the DOJ and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).  Communications to and from the United States Ambassador to Mexico about the Fast and Furious matter are also described.

• Many of the records are already publicly available such as letters from Congress, press clips, and typical agency communications.  Ordinarily, these records would, in whole or part, be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.  Few of the records seem to even implicate presidential decision-making and advice that might be subject to President Obama’s broad and unprecedented executive privilege claim.

UPDATE Nov 5:  On this day after the mid-term elections, where the referendum on President Obama's policies disclosed the depth of America's dislike for them, we learn of a Fast & Furious document dump on the eve of the election.

Yes, AG Eric Holder has finally released 64,280 pages of documents to the House Oversight Committee.  These are the ones mentioned in the Vaughn Index above.  Now we will really learn the  truth of Holder's malfeasance, of DOJ's obstructionism, and of the White House's part in this scandal.

See:  http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/391919/election-eve-dump-eric-holder-releases-fast-and-furious-documents-got-him-cited

See:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/4/justice-dept-submits-64k-pages-fast-furious-docs/


Also from JW, news of a previous weapons trafficking operation carried out by a DOJ prosecutor in Arizona and how Holder slowed down exposure of its existence:  http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2014/10/dojs-fast-furious-prequel-failed-grenade-running-operation/ 

Why Trey Gowdy Should be President

As you know, I like Trey Gowdy very much.

Here are some video excerpts that show why:

republican-superstar-gives-important-speech-years/


These five videos are compendiums of significant Trey Gowdy speeches or questioning of witnesses:

Part 1:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZkTSiLtu31o#t=307

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S_HIv3qDQ_s#t=4

Part 3:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=w7v7e5bdYLA#t=4

Part 4:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pZ-1n9ePoAU#t=3

Part 5:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FethZnvrKR8#t=4

NLRB, Ms. Reynolds:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MbNCYlZGs3A#t=13

Judge Janine Takes Obama to Task over Syria

She says it all:

Judge Jeanine's Opening Statement Sept 8, 2013

Scandals: Oh My! Eric Holder Lied Again

The IBD (Investors Business Daily) editorial for May 31, 2013 opines that AG Holder has been materially lying about lots of things for a long time.

See IDB here:  Eric-holder-repeatedly-lied-to-congress

Interesting commentary by J. Christian Adams, a former prosecutor at DOJ who quit because of conflict with his conscience, discusses this with Cam Edwards on Cam & Company - See June 3 show, 1st interview.

Holder is systematically packing the DOJ with radical racism lawyers.  He has hired 160 so far and has another 60 on tap.   The initial and prime example is the non-prosecution of the Black Panthers who wielded clubs at a polling station in Philadelphia in 2008.  See here:  New_Black_Panther_Party_voter_intimidation_case

IRS Scandal: Some Interesting Numbers

I have not commented much on the current crop of scandals affecting the White House and the Administration.  In terms of the health of the country, scandals are not desired.  However, if funny business is going on behind the scenes, where the Constitution and the Law is being subverted, then scandals are necessary.

I commented extensively the past three years on Fast and Furious, the first of the extra-legal endeavors by the DOJ and ATF. I believe it reaches to the White House and certainly to Eric Holder.  It progresses in Oversight Committee hearing and investigations.

Lately we have the Benghazi debacle where the President outright lied about the whole affair.  I can forgive him and his staff of incompetency on the night of September 11, 2012, but not of the lying afterward.

And then there are the secret email accounts of Administrators like Lisa Jackson (Richard Windsor) of the EPA and Kathleen Sibelius (KGS2@hhs.gov.) of HHS.   Sibelius' nom-de-crook even got commendations.  Three years in a row, "he" was awarded a Certificate for Ethical Behavior, and was also given a certificate for completing cyber-security training courses.  So much for the "most transparent administration."  See here:  US-Secret-Emails

Then came the James Rosen of Fox News scandal where DOJ has been reading his emails, listening to his phone calls and accusing him of being a co-conspirator in espionage.  Rightly, this case has had a chilling effect on the nation's press corps, who already are scared to ask tough questions of the Administration.

Now we have the IRS scandal of abusing conservative groups who were seeking 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 status.  This is the most chilling of all, since it deals directly with the practice of tyranny in arguably the most important government department, the IRS.  And worst, it now appears that the impetus for the extra and biased scrutiny was coming from the Administration.  This is my allegation and not proved yet, but the circumstantial evidence is mounting.

So, to the Interesting Numbers:

The Daily Caller has studied the White House visitor logs.  Do they suggest complicity or at least opportunity to influence to you?

157 visits - IRS Director Schulman during entire Obama presidency

118 visits - IRS Director Schulman during years of enhanced IRS scrutiny, 2010 to 2012.  (Includes two election cycles.)

90 visits - Deputy Director IRS during entire Obama presidency

100 visits - VP Joe Biden  during entire Obama presidency

62 visits - AG Eric Holder during entire Obama presidency

<50 visits each - Treasury Sec Geitner and HHS Secretary Sibelius

1 visit - IRS Director during entire Bush presidency

Then it comes to light that not just conservative groups but also religious and educational groups.  Where is the justification for the IRS to request the text of prayers that religious groups say?  See here:  Are-you-now-or-have-you-ever-been-a-christian?

Now, let's add to this the amazing coincidence of how some conservative groups and individuals have been audited by the IRS in the past few years.

For instance, Wayne Allen Root won a tax court case against an IRS audit in 2011.  Five days later the IRS started another audit.  Root was a classmate of Obama at Columbia, but never heard of or met the man.  He is an outspoken commentator who appears to be targeted by the Administration.  See here: why-is-the-leftist-media-going-after-the-irs-victims or Root's Story on Radio and especially Root's IRS Story

Through all of this I am reminded of the story of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to 1170.  King George II eventually became exasperated with his bishop because he actually tried to be a bishop and serve the poor, among other transgressions against the King.  George at one point famously said, "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?"  It wasn't long before four knights took it upon themselves to kill Becket, perceiving a Royal edict.  I am afraid Obama and crew operate similarly - expressions of wishes get carried out without direct orders being issued.  Thus the President can say, "The first I knew of the IRS scandal was from the press reports."  But all along the bureaucracy has been interpreting and executing those desires.

Fast & Furious: 2nd OIG Report Released

'Fast and Furious' report finds DHS missed warning signs, Napolitano in the dark.

A long awaited second report by The Inspector General of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was released Friday.  To understand the context of the F&F scandal, one must realize that DHS includes the sub-departments of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).  Janet Napolitano is the Cabinet Secretary for DHS.   DHS Orgchart

In F&F, the idea to run guns to the cartels originated with the DOJ's US Attorney Dennis Burke in Arizona (and similar operations occurred in other states).  The DOJ sub-departments of BATFE, DEA and FBI are also involved/implicated in F&F's complexity.  Eric Holder is the US Attorney General.  Last year the DOJ Inspector General released the first of the government's reports.  DOJ Orgchart

"The second of two reports examining who's to blame over the federal anti-gunrunning scheme known as Operation Fast and Furious exonerates top officials at the Department of Homeland Security, but paints a picture of ineptitude, ignorance and mismanagement at the DHS operations in Arizona."

"A report by the Homeland Security inspector general, obtained Friday by Fox News, concluded many in the agency's Arizona operation knew for a long time the U.S. helped criminals smuggle guns to Mexico in violation of policy, but did nothing to stop it."

"Further, the report said word of the gun-smuggling operation within DHS never traveled beyond Arizona -- and claimed Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano were never informed of the role ICE played."

See more here from Fox News:  fast-and-furious-report-finds-dhs-missed-warning-signs-napolitano-in-dark

Once again, it appears this IG has walked a fine bureaucratic line to find some blame, but to also protect the AG and the President.  DHS was not the principal agency, but the lack of knowledge at upper echelons of DHS at least mirrors the similar and grievous shortcomings already seen at ATF and DOJ.

 

Fast & Furious: Presidential Debate #2 - Obama Avoids the Words

Tonight's debate was full of fire and controversy.  The candidates provided the fire.  The moderator, Candy Crowley provided the controversy.  She allowed Obama to speak to at least four minutes longer than Romney and helped him achieve that extra time.

As for F&F, Mr. Romney skillfully inserted F&F into his answer to a direct audience question about gun control that was posed to Mr. Obama.  The President stated for one of the first times that he would support a renewed assault weapons ban - but it is obvious he doesn't understand the implications of what that means.  Mr. Romney said we have enough gun laws and what we need is better family circumstances to prevent people from turning to violence, via education and family upbringing.  Then he turned the tables and blamed the Administration for the scandal of F&F.  President Obama then built on Romney's response by also discussing education.  But most telling was that he studiously avoided the words "Fast & Furious" and totally avoided any discussion of the scandal.  Crowley let him ramble on for two minutes while avoiding the issue.

To me, he sounded like he was hiding something.  He sounded scared of the whole subject.  It would seem there is still a lot to be discovered about F&F and the White House's involvement.

Attorney General's Treason? Holder Has Always Opposed 2nd Amendment

The Daily Caller today has an article exposing Eric Holder's long held prejudice against firearms.  I can forgive Holder having a personal viewpoint on the matter, but he brings his personal views to work.  He used and uses his offices to promote gun control and disarming of Americans.  He advocated from his AG public offices in DC a "brainwashing" of citizens to make gun ownership and self-defense "not cool."  Today, if you watch Holder's multiple testimonies to the House Committee on Government Oversight, it is simple to see the bias and malice he holds toward guns and gun owners, and how he favors more anti-gun laws.  Thus I say, he commits treason by willfully disregarding his Oath of Office to uphold the Constitution, in all its parts. By the way, Mr. Holder, smoking is not a constitutionally protected right, and thus is not a reasonable analogy.

See here: Holder-in-1995-really-brainwash-people-to-be-anti-gun

Fast & Furious: 2nd Gun linked to Jaime Zapata Killing

Sharyl Attkisson has a new CBS News article about F&F guns being linked to the murder of ICE agent Jaime Zapata and injured ICE agent Victor Avila.  You will recall these two agents were ambushed near Mexico City on their way home to the US.  They were not armed, since Mexico does not allow foreign agents to carry weapons.  A Texas man, Manuel Barba was sentenced to 100 months for trafficking a gun linked to Zapata's murder.

To make matters worse, Barba had been under surveillance for 6 months before shipping the weapon that killed Zapata to Mexico.  ATF made no effort to arrest him or prevent the guns from going to the Zeta Cartel.   Barba operated in Texas, further added credence to stories of another sting operation, similar to Fast & Furious in Arizona, that ATF was running and that placed guns in the hands of Mexican cartels.

Second-gun-used-in-ice-agent-murder-linked-to-atf-undercover-operation

A sign of the DOJ's abysmal public relations is that Zapata's family had no idea that Barba was even under arrest. Congressman Blake Farentholt, representative for the Texas constituency where the Zapatas live, is furious at the way DOJ has treated the family.  He is also incensed that Eric Holder had not being keeping daily or weekly tabs on developments in the murder of one of his agents. He says it appears that DOJ has generated a "thug mentality" culture within DEA, ATF and DOJ.

Fast & Furious: Obama's Budget Seeks to Legalize Gun Running

Last October John Cornyn added a provision to the MiniBus bill that would prevent any further gun running operations like F&F.  The Senate passed it by 100 to 0. 

In his 2013 budget released this week, President Obama has proposed to bracket (remove) the Cornyn amendment.  In other words, to ignore the will of the ENTIRE Senate.  Someone please tell me how he can live with himself.

In addition, the Budget attacks M1 Garand rifles and M1 Carbines again by adding a provision to destroy any remaining  rifles owned by the Military.  Congress has protected these historic rifles through the Civilian Marksmanship Program for decades.

And another redux, the attack on used military brass is revived.  The budget directs once-used brass to be destroyed instead of sold to wholesalers and end users like me for use in target shooting.  The costs to taxpayers is much larger to buy new brass, and the cost in secondary markets will be hundreds of jobs.  They tried this two years ago and Congress voted them down. So again, Obama and his Administration show their contempt for Congress.

And they also want to revive the sinister junk science reports that the NIH and CDC used to produce that called guns a "disease."

See Emily Miller at Washington Times:   Obamas-fast-and-furious-spin

And last, but not least, Obama is again pushing Andrew Traver as Director of the ATF.  Traver is a long-time ATF bureaucrat who is totally anti-gun and relatively clueless about firearms.  The Congress refused last year to even bring him in for a confirmation hearing.  He is not what is needed to lead ATF, which needs to learn to serve the People and not the political aspirations of the President.

Fast & Furious: Holder Says New Assault Weapons Ban is Needed

Today, Eric Holder stated that F&F was not designed to impinge on the 2nd Amendment by creating a straw man problem that should be fixed by more gun control laws.  However, he also said today that a new AWB should be put in place.  Once again, he shows the true intent of the Obama Administration to eventually impose more gun control on law-abiding citizens, which of course never controls anything criminals will do.

Many people hove long suspected that a backdoor attack on the 2nd Amendment is the reason for F&F.  I don't share that belief, because the facts don't quite support it, yet.  But I can certainly see why many people, including many Senators and Congressmen, share this belief.

To see excerpts from Holder's testimony, go to www.NRANews.com, click on Viewing Guide, click on Feb 02, click on the second item called "Members of House Oversight Committee Question Eric Holder."  For extra commentary, watch Cam's entire show in the next link.

Fast & Furious: Brian Terry's Mother Speaks - Finally a Lawsuit

Brian Terry’s mother to Holder: You’re ‘a joke’ and a ‘coward’

By Matthew Boyle - The Daily Caller

The mother of murdered Border Patrol agent Brian Terry had harsh words for Attorney General Eric Holder after Thursday’s House oversight committee hearing on Operation Fast and Furious.

“THIS IS FOR YOU SON,” Mrs. Terry posted on Facebook at about 3:30 p.m. “Mr. Holder. How come you can never say my sons name. You never have. All i ever hear you say is ‘i didnt find out or I cant say’ Im actually tired of hearing your double talk in answering questions. What a joke you are. You know my son was a real AMERICAN, a WARRIOR, and a HERO, who was also protecting COWARD POLITICANS like you.”

“Hope you remember that,” Mrs. Terry added in her message to Holder before signing it: “PROUD MOM OF BRIAN A. TERRY."

Watch the video in this Fox News report about the hearing yesterday:  brian-terrys-mother-holder-youre-joke-and-coward   Watch Holder being a weasel.

Also on Thursday, obviously in response to Holder's indifference, the Terry Family has filed a $25 Million wrongful death action the Government.

See USAToday:  border-agent-death-lawsuit

Fast & Furious: Holder Called "Contemptuous" of Congress

Yesterday, Eric Holder testified to the House Oversight Committee once again.  The Washington Examiner called his manner of answers to Congressional questions "contemptuous."  The Examiner also called for Holder's resignation.

BTW, not a single broadcast network even reported on Holder's appearance before the Committee.  The media is desperate to ignore anything that cast any bad light on the Obama Administration.

Fast & Furious: Holder to Claim Executive Privelege!

Today Eric Holder announced he would claim executive privilege before the House Oversight Committee tomorrow.  This is laughable, since DOJ is a Congress-created agency and Holder is not part of the immediate White House executive.  It is doubtful he can do this, but Holder has been finding "convenient" interpretations of the Constitution and the general law of the land for 3 years now, so it is not surprising.  Bottom line:  Holder works for the People, so Congress can demand he explain how he runs his Department.

Also, Holder will probably reiterate that he will not produce any documents subject of the Committee's subpoena, from after Feb. 4, 2011.  This is the date when Holder sent his first letter claiming he knew nothing about F&F.  He subsequently withdrew that letter.  Turns out the DOJ's Inspector General has these documents, but we are not allowed to see them.

Fast & Furious: Friday Night Document Dump - Again

At least one thing is constant in Washington and at DOJ these days:  When you hope that people are not watching, you release subpoenaed documents on Friday evening.  This week is no exception, and the dump occurs just before Attorney General Eric Holder is to appear on February 2 before the House Oversight Committee to answer (or more likely evade) more questions about F&F.

Included in the 486 pages of documents are emails from Dennis Burke, the US Attorney for Arizona in charge of F&F, to Manni Wilkerson, Eric Holder's Deputy Chief of Staff, sent the day after the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.  Burke says that some of the guns found at the Brian Terry murder scene were F&F guns.  Wilkerson answers that he would like to get followup details.  Both Wilkerson and Burke now state that they have no recollection of this email exchange.  Curiously, no other emails are included that indicate there was a followup in the inquiry.  So, once again, either the DOJ is rife with absolute incompetence, or they realized they better not talk about it in emails.

Fast & Furious: 103 Congressmen Call for Holder to Resign

Now, almost a quarter of the House of Representatives are calling for Eric Holder to resign.  All the Republican candidates, numerous governors and states attorney generals, many Senators, and law enforcement officials form across the country are also doing so.  What will Holder do at his next appearance before the House Oversight Committee?  He'll probably refuse to say anything substantive - he'll dance and weave just like before.  It is all an insult to the People.  Either Holder is incompetent or he is lying to Congress.  There are no other choices any more.

Fast & Furious: Pleading the 5th? Amazing

In a pleading before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Patrick Cunningham has pled the Fifth Amendment during a deposition hearing. Cunningham was the chief of the Criminal Division of the US Attorney’s Office for Arizona during Operation Fast and Furious. He was excused from the deposition after giving only his name and title.

Guilty until proven innocent?  I know that is backward, but when a government official uses the Fifth to evade giving answers about the job he did while working for a legal arm of the US Government, then one cannot help but be amazed at the hubris, as well as wonder about how implicating the information he knows really is.  What employees do at work is really the public's work and should be available to all.

Fast & Furious? Nope! Now We Have Operation White Gun

Another coup of mismanagement for ATF and the Obama DOJ has come to light.  It appears the ATF's Los Angeles office has been running an operation similar to Fast & Furious, and once again guns maybe missing. 

Once again Richard Serrano from the LA Times comes through with good investigative reporting:  Operation White Gun

Also intriguing:  A quick Internet survey late Friday shows about 10 English language stories about this new gun scandal.  Meanwhile in Mexico, there have been 66 stories today.  The Mexican public is immensely upset over F&F and the general state of US intervention in their internal affairs.

The Imperial President: Congress? Why Should I Care About Them?

This is a catch up post to go back to one previous Imperial President action.  Last year, in response to Fast & Furious, President Obama insisted that ATF initiate one of their "Demand Letter" actions in which ATF sends instructions to FFL dealers.  The letter in question demanded that dealers report all multiple sales of semi-auto rifles bigger than .22 caliber in a five day period.  Supposedly this would stop straw sales to drug cartels buyers.

The problem with this is that Congress, in the 1968 GCA did not include long guns in the registration/reporting requirements for NICS checks.  And again last year, Congress formally opposed the action.  But ATF and Obama claimed executive privilege and issued the Demand Letter anyway.  So now dealers in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas must report multiple sales of long guns.  This blatant disregard of Congress is becoming a hallmark of the Obama Administration.  The scary part is if Obama gets a second term, this method of governing is liable to become the norm.