US Attorney Accused Of Leaking Sensitive Info Regarding Fast & Furious – OpEd
By Jim Kouri
During the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings yesterday regarding the Operation Fast and Furious “gunwalking” scandal, testimony revealed that a former U.S. Attorney, who resigned after the gun snafu was uncovered, leaked sensitive information about one of the ATF whistleblowers to a reporter.
The hearing also revealed that neither Attorney General Eric Holder or anyone from the Obama administration offered an apology to the family of a border patrol agent slain with one of the Fast and Furious weapons smuggled into Mexico.
Senator Chuck Grassley, a ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, became visibly upset when attorneys for former U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke acknowledged that Burke leaked a sensitive document to the press regarding a whistleblower who had come forward with allegations of gunwalking.
The document was deemed so sensitive by the Justice Department that it was not provided to Congress, except in a secured room at department headquarters.
In the Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing where Attorney General Eric Holder testified, Grassley asked questions about the leaked document and talking points and who was being held accountable. Holder refused to answer Grassley’s questions.
“Leaking sensitive documents to the press and retaliating against whistleblowers is not good faith cooperation with Congress. The Justice Department confirmed that the Inspector General continues to investigate the leak which means there are others who may be involved in drafting and distributing the talking points and document to the press,” Grassley stated.
“The Justice Department should not be allowed to continue scapegoating the one person who has resigned. We’re in contact with Mr. Burke’s attorneys and will continue to seek additional information about the document leak and retaliatory talking points,” said Sen. Grassley.
U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and former Texas Attorney General, also pressed Attorney General Holder for answers on the federal “gun-walking” operation.
Attorney General Holder claimed he could not “be expected to know” the details of Fast and Furious, refused to apologize for U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry’s death, and acknowledged that no one has been held accountable over the deadly program.
A law enforcement source said to Law Enforcement Examiner that agents with several government law enforcement agencies are angry with the current administration.
“We’ve watched our President apologize to anything that moves — at least in foreign countries. But when his own fellow citizens are killed or wounded, he appears to believe in ignoring the incidents,” said the Law Enforcement Examiner source.
“He’s a leader who saves his vitriol and anger for his own country while he practically curtsies for foreign leaders and citizens from those foreign nations,” he added.
