In a letter to Attorney-General Eric Holder yesterday, Congressman Darrell Issa and Senator Charles Grassley asked for information on media leaks that were aimed at discrediting the testimony of a key ATF whistleblower--Agent John Dodson. The leak violates the Privacy Act which protects the personal information employers gather on employees, and points to more chicanery on the part of ATF management in retaliating against agents who went public with the agency's illegal activity.
According to the letter, an employee of the DOJ was forced to resign due to the leak. Issa and Grassley are requesting information on that employee and if other employees had access to a shared computer drive that may have led to the leaked information.
In a report published by the Wall Street Journal, the following information was made available concerning the request made by Issa and Grassley:
The lawmakers focused on the leak of a document that they said “contained information protected under the Privacy Act regarding ATF whistleblower John Dodson’s participation in an undercover law enforcement operation. This document, given to the press, was not even produced to the Committees, instead being made available only forin camera review. This leaked document was also accompanied by a set of talking points designed to undermine Agent Dodson’s credibility as a whistleblower. This egregious violation of the Privacy Act, and attempted retaliation for protected disclosures to Congress, is unacceptable.”
Dodson is one of the original whistleblowers who first went public with allegations of deep corruption in the agency, including the murders of countless Mexican citizens and at least 2 federal agents with firearms the government deliberately placed into the hands of drug cartels.
As part of Operation Fast and Furious, or Project Gunwalker, Dodson was given an undercover assignment to pose as a 'straw purchaser' of firearms from licensed U.S. gun dealers, which would then be 'walked' across the border into Mexico.
But Dodson was very vocal in his opposition to the scheme, knowing that the entire operation was not a 'sting' as the government claims. Rather, Dodson and several of his fellow agents objected to the notion that American guns would be taken across the border to Mexican drug gangs where those firearms would be lost forever, given that no attempt was made to 'trace' them or to make arrests.
A trusted source who is close to the investigation into Gunwalker being conducted by Issa and Grassley reports that so vehement was Dodson's opposition to the scheme that a shouting match ensued with ATF management:
Subsequent to this undercover weapons buying and transfer to cartel smugglers by Dodson, say the sources, "Dodson just about came apart all over them (his supervisors)." In a "screaming match" that was heard throughout the Phoenix office by many employees, Dodson yelled at Voth and Assistant Special Agent in Charge George Gillett, "Why not just go direct and empty out the ATF arms room" to the cartels," or words to that effect.
In addition, Dodson allegedly has already been the recipient of retaliatory action earlier this year. Back in July St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner Kurt Hofmann provided evidence that Dodson was the victim of a smear campaign by his superiors.
And then there is this report submitted by this writer on October 25 indicating a widespread, orchestrated program of retaliation against whistleblowers implemented by ATF supervisors. One agent's family was placed in lethal danger when his house was set on fire in the middle of the night while his wife and children slept inside. Supervisors had good reason to believe that Hell's Angels had set the fire in response to the agent's undercover work that resulted in several arrests. But ATF management never investigated the fire, nor did they do anything about numerous threats the agent received from Hell's Angels.
The latest revelation concerning the continued attempt to smear agent Dodson by releasing private information protected by the Privacy Act only highlights the fact that retaliatory behavior on the part of ATF management is continuing despite warnings from Issa and Grassley that it be stopped.
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