The last time Eric Holder tried to dance around questions regarding his “Fast and Furious” operation that lead to the death of a border patrol agent, Texas Senator John Cornyn wouldn’t let him lead.
Texans will be watching closely Thursday, February 2, 2012 to see if Obama’s Attorney General will try to dance around the questions of a Congressional committee seeking truth regarding the “gun –walking” operation.
Since Cornyn’s Nov. 8 tango with Holder last year, other American leaders who tried to join in on the dance floor have been met with continuous obstructive toe tapping.
But now Holder has only a week to turn over related documents to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee or face contempt of Congress charges.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the chairman of the Committee, warned Holder in a letter Tuesday he could face serious contempt charges for his continuous refusal to obey the panel’s subpoena for the documents.
CORNYN WOULDN'T DANCE WITH HOLDER
Holder had previously denied in front of Cornyn that he could “be expected to know” the details of the deadly program and had not at that time apologized to the family of the deceased U.S. Border Patrol agent, Brian Terry.
But Cornyn countered with “You cannot be expected to have known about the operation known as Fast and Furious despite the fact that we know you received an NDIC memo on July the 5th, 2010?”
The dancing began as Cornyn asked these questions:
“Would you like to apologize today for this program that went so wrong, that took the life of a United States law enforcement agent?” the Texas senator inquired.
“Can you name me one person who’s been held accountable for this Fast and Furious Operation,” Cornyn then asked. “Just one in the Department of Justice?”
AGENT'S FAMILY IS SEEKING $25 MILLION FROM ATF
The family of Agent Terry announced this week they are seeking $25 million and filed a wrongful death suit against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for his death.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has joined Issa and others who have repetitively asked Holder’s Depart of Justice (DOJ) for the documents.
Specifically, the panel is concerned about a DOJ letter sent to Grassley on Feb. 4, 2011, stating that they did everything in its power to stop guns from being trafficked across the U.S.-Mexico border.
HOLDER'S DOJ PROVIDED FALSE STATEMENTS
“If the department continues to obstruct the congressional inquiry by not providing documents and information, this committee will have no alternative but to move forward with proceedings to hold you in contempt of Congress,” Issa wrote.
The DOJ was forced to withdraw their Feb. 4 letter, when it was proven later their statements were not true.
“Since the department initially misrepresented the facts and misled Congress, it is necessary to investigate the department’s response to our investigation,” Issa’s letter to Holder stated. “Your actions lead us to conclude that the department is actively engaged in a cover-up.”
“Should you choose to continue to withhold documents pursuant to the subpoena, you must create a detailed privilege log explaining why the department is refusing to produce each document,” Issa stated.
THOUSANDS OF FAST-FURIOUS GUNS STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR
ATF agents were told to abandon their surveillance of weapons they were tracing in 2009 as they allowed drug cartels to cross into Mexico with the guns.
Numerous ATF agents testified, that after they were restrained from following the weapons, the only way to track the guns was when the found them at crime scenes or during drug raids.
Serial numbers of two of these “Fast and Furious” AK-47 weapons were found in Arizona at the murder scene of Border Patrol agent Terry.
"It was so inhumane,” Josephine Terry said of Holder’s answer when Cornyn asked him if he has spoken or apologized to the Terry family in November. “An apology to anybody means at least they are trying to fix it. He didn't.”
On Dec. 2010, her son was killed north of the Arizona-Mexico border while on duty with fellow agents who were going after robbers who target illegal aliens.
"I think they are liars and I would tell them that," said the agent’s father, Kent Terry. "What would I say to Eric Holder? They would not be nice words."
Agents said they are very concerned that thousands of these guns are still out there and could be used to kill more innocent people.
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