Fisking Eric Holder’s Prepared Remarks for the Fast and Furious Hearing
On Thursday, Attorney General Eric Holder will find himself in the hot seat as he again faces questions before Chairman Darrell Issa’s House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The testimony he plans to enter for the record was obtained by PJ Media. Portions of the testimony (followed by my own dissection) follow:
Chairman Issa, Ranking Member Cummings, and members of the Committee, I am here today because I understand and appreciate the importance of congressional oversight, and because I am committed to ensuring the highest standards of integrity and professionalism at the Department of Justice. That’s precisely what I pledged to do – exactly three years ago tomorrow – when I was sworn in as Attorney General. And it is exactly what I have done.
Really? Because I thought Holder actually sent Congress documents which were a lie and had to be retracted, had one of his employees admit his testimony before Issa’s committee “lacked completeness,” and so politicized his office that former employees have written books about the corruptionwithin his Justice Department.
Over the last three years, we’ve made a number of significant improvements, including policy and personnel changes that address many of the concerns that are the subject of this hearing. Today, I’d like to discuss some of these improvements in specific terms – and outline the steps that we have taken to ensure that the flawed tactics used in Operation Fast and Furious – and in earlier operations under the prior Administration – are never again used. If some of my comments today sound familiar, it is because this marks the sixth time I have answered questions about this operation before a congressional committee in the last year.
Interesting wording — “personnel changes.” Does he mean like promoting and/or reassigning many of the people responsible for the failed operation which allowed more than 2,500 military-style firearms across the border into the hands of some of the most murderous people in the world?
Let me start, however, with something that cannot be said often enough: allowing guns to “walk” – whether in this administration or in the prior one – is wholly unacceptable.
Here we go again with “Bush did it too.” The difference between Operation Wide Receiver and Fast and Furious is that the Bush administration quickly realized it was a dumb idea and shut it down. Holder’s ATF tried the same dumb idea again and then expanded on it. Then once it was clear it was a bad idea, they tried to cover it up. What is that definition of insanity again?
That’s why, when I learned early last year about the allegations raised by ATF agents involved with Fast and Furious, I took action. In addition to requesting an Inspector General investigation last February, I ordered that a directive be sent prohibiting the use of such tactics.
Let’s start with the fact that Holder claimed he only knew about it after the story broke in the media. But then, Holder has claimed several different points at which he learned about the program. And I’m still a little confused as to why it was necessary to send a directive prohibiting something so obviously stupid.
We also have provided Congress with virtually unprecedented access to internal deliberative documents to show how inaccurate information was initially conveyed in a letter sent to Senator Grassley on February 4, 2011. These documents show that Department officials relied on information provided by supervisors from the relevant components in the best position to know the facts. We now know that some of the information they provided was inaccurate.
He means he was about to get caught lying — again.
We also understand that, in subsequent interviews with congressional investigators, these supervisors have stated that they did not know at the time that the information they provided was inaccurate.
Oh, like Special Agent in Charge William Newell, who had to tell Issa’s committee in an open hearing that his previous testimony “lacked completeness”?
As I testified in a previous hearing, the Department does not intend to produce additional deliberative materials about the response to congressional oversight or media requests that postdate the commencement of congressional review. This decision is consistent with the longstanding approach taken by the Department, under both Democratic and Republican administrations, and reflects concerns for the constitutionally-protected separation of powers.
There is a legitimate point here, however the problem is that DoJ has lied to Congress so many times (as well as refusing to testify, officials taking the 5th, and just out-and-out obfuscation) that no one would believe it if Holder’s DoJ said the sun rose in the east.
Prior administrations have recognized that robust internal communications would be chilled, and the Executive Branch’s ability to respond to oversight requests thereby impeded, if our internal communications concerning our responses to congressional oversight were disclosed to Congress. For both Branches, this would be an undesirable outcome. The appropriate functioning of the separation of powers requires that Executive Branch officials have the ability to communicate confidentially as they discuss how to respond to inquiries from Congress. I want to note that the separation of powers concerns are particularly acute here, because the Committee has sought information about open criminal investigations and prosecutions.
No, they’re investigating Holder’s department. That’s been clear from the beginning of this mess a year ago. They haven’t asked for any information on investigations, just on the process. That is quite different, and as an attorney, Holder should know it.
This is an important start, but we have more to do. And no one knows this better than the members of our nation’s law enforcement community – including the ATF agents who testified before this Committee last summer. Not only did these agents bring the inappropriate and misguided tactics of Operation Fast and Furious to light, they also sounded the alarm for more effective laws to combat gun trafficking and improve public safety.
These agents explained that ATF’s ability to stem the flow of guns from the United States into Mexico suffers from a lack of effective enforcement tools. Unfortunately, in 2011, a majority of House Members – including all members of the majority on this Committee – voted to keep law enforcement in the dark when individuals purchase multiple semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and long guns – like AK-47s – in gun shops in four southwest-border states.
As the great Ronald Reagan said, “There he goes again.” Holder did this the last time he testified before Congress. He called for more gun control. How exactly would said reporting have changed a thing during this so-called “investigation”? Given that the gun shops in question were calling Holder’s agents, telling them some guy in a beat-up Dodge Dart who smelled like he rolled in week-old dead cat had just asked to buy $20,000 worth of AK-47s — and his agents told them to make the sale.
In this new year, I hope we can work together to provide law enforcement agents with the tools they desperately need – and have requested – to protect our citizens and ensure their own safety. Indeed, incidents of violence against law enforcement officers are approaching the highest levels we’ve seen in nearly two decades, even though violent crime is down overall. Last year, a total of 177 federal, state, and local officers lost their lives in the line of duty – a 16 percent increase over 2010. More than 70 of these deaths involved firearms – 20 percent more than the previous year. And, since the beginning of this year, an additional 14 officers have been killed – half of them in gun-related incidents.
And another call for more gun control. What does that have to do with Operation Fast and Furious, exactly?
I could go on for paragraphs more. Suffice to say, Holder should be in for an interesting day tomorrow — in the Chinese sense of the word. Issa has already threatened him with contempt charges and it boggles the mind that none of the Republican candidates have even mentioned this yet.
Enraged doesn’t even cover how people should feel about this. Tune in for full coverage tomorrow.
Also read: BREAKING: DOJ prosecutors took bribes from financial execs, still working at DOJ
“….it boggles the mind that none of the Republican candidates have even mentioned this yet.” I’ll tell you why they have not. The MSM has so completely kept the public so uninformed about all of this that the candidates know that nobody would have the slightest idea what they were talking about.
“Tune in for full coverage tomorrow”. Will do. I will tune in Brian Williams and possibly NPR in order to get the latest information on “Fast and Furious”. I’m sure they’ll get to the bottom of this. Maybe we’ll finally learn the real truth from those folks. Bush did it.
I hope Congressman Issa has questions that allow no wiggle room for Holder so that he must, tell the truth (unlikely) take the 5th (which in itself is an admission of guilt to me), or outright lie. I can only hope then that Issa will have the guts to find Holder in contempt of congress or have committed perjury. Either way I want to see Holder doing the perp walk down the Capitol steps in a pair of silver bracelets. I heard Agent Terry’s family filed a 25 million dollar lawsuit, I hope Holder was named a a defendant.
Will Obama be charged with
“hit and run” after his bus runs over Holder?
Holder would have to agree to it. One can barely imagine what all he has on Obama. Starting with the Rezco case and the witnesses whose testimony is secret due to ‘indictments under seal’ (think, witness protection program in bIzArRo wOrLd, protecting the witnesses from the law).
I’d like to know if Issa plans to have Holder sworn in. If not this whole thing is a sham.
And if Holder is sworn, it will still be a scam, since he will continue to lie about whatever he is asked about F&F. Obama has lied about every embarrassing question he has been asked (and many he hasn’t even been asked), and that is the standard his administration has adopted. Never have so many bureaucrats lied about so many things so many times. It has been working just fine, so no point in changing now. If the GOP would just publicize all the lies, backed up with the full facts, only the hard-core “Democrats” would have the stomach to vote for BHO.
Yea, more gun control that’s what we need. How bout we keep guns out of the hands of federal officials.
It hasn’t been proven yet, but it certainly is walking and quacking like a duck. I think another name for it is treason.
“…and outline the steps that we have taken to ensure that the flawed tactics used in Operation Fast and Furious – and in earlier operations under the prior Administration – are never again used.”
Translation: Bush did it too! Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush! Not our fault! Waaaa!
It provides the element that moves Fast and Furious out of the categories of “botched operation” and “ordinary corruption” into the “violating your oath of office to uphold the Constitution” category, by conspiring at undermining the Second Amendment.
Watching today’s hearings right now on the Internet courtesy of the House Oversight Committee, since none of the networks or CSPAN have live coverage, and I must admit that Holder comes across as a slick, contemptuous con man, and the Democrats on the Committee flying cover for him, and defending him as a really poor group of specimens.
A Republican Committee member from Idaho? pointed out that Holder never came “prepared” for hearings i.e. (i.e. he lied through his teeth, and tried to duck responsibility) by his perpetual claim that he had not read, was not aware of, or had not been briefed on whatever was the subject of the hearing–and after the member put up on the screen quotes from Holder’s testimony about the Marc Rich pardon back in 2001, and the current Fast and Furious”–particularly how Holder, each time he testified, kept pushing the time he knew about F & F further back in time, Holder’s Democratic cover squad tried to stop this devastating slide show.
Then holder contemptuously “dissed” the Republican questioner, saying about “I don’t know how things are done “where ever you come from,” etc.
I’d say that the member from Idaho got a little too close to home for Holder.
Mexicans got them
You can too!!
Free AK- 47′s
Your favorite congressperson’s phone number (__here_____)
Ask about the Holder Plan
Lawmaker Explodes at Holder: ‘What Am I Supposed to Tell My Constituents’?
http://video.foxnews.com/v/1429855977001/
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there was a parallel plan to supply weapons to the ACORN/SEIU goon squads also – all under the table and (for the most part) untracable.
It is difficult, almost impossible to believe our Attorney General. The alternative is to accept that everyone in the DoJ drools in their soup. Such is not the case. It appears we are experiencing another point in American history in which a highly talented lawyer hangs his career on the definition of a little word, e.g. “is”.
We have just learned this week, that the guy who informs the boss, emailed that he will brief the AG ASAP on the murder of a Border Patrol officer. It is reasonable from what we know about this horror, that DoJ must have traced the murder weapons, left at the crime scene, and correlated them with the F&F give away guns, shortly thereafter. The DoJ experts know this is a crime. Yet much later, the AG orders his department to stop giving guns to killers because, it is “not acceptable.” He has “not yet” punished employees, but he has moved them around. Lawyers cautiously use words, but this is sophistry, far beyond reasonable doubt. His people ordered career cops to stand aside, and permit thousands of military type weapons to fall into the hands of foreign drug lords, without a scintilla of ability to track them. Hundreds were murdered with the weapons, and he claims ignorance of this massive crime. What are we to conclude?
We can rule out competency among the highest levels of DoJ. Mr Holder options shrink by the hour.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio has to be LHAO right about now!
I like the way Holder tries to imply that he can use “executive privilege” to avoid cooperating or providing documents. But only the President has executive privilege; Holder does not. Holder can claim executive privilege only on documents and communications involving Obama. Somehow I don’t think that Holder is prepared to say that all the documents he is withholding have Barry’s name on them…
I don’t thik the russians lie this much!Why can’t we send these psycho-paths to the communist country of their choice!!!
“a total of 177 federal, state, and local officers lost their lives in the line of duty – a 16 percent increase over 2010. More than 70 of these deaths involved firearms – 20 percent more than the previous year. ”
Even congresscritters fall for this liberal triplespeak. Let’s hope Issa calls him on it.
More than HALF of these deaths involving firearms were where a police officer shot himself or a fellow officer.
Twice as many police officers die in traffic accidents than by firearms.
If an off-duty policeman trips in his house, it’s counted as one of these 177 deaths of police officers.
More than 612 citizens are either shot, tasered to death, or otherwise killed by police officers each year, making police officers the winners in this war by almost four fold.
Of more than 420 murders in JUST one city (Washington, DC), in JUST one year, 284 of them were NOT killed by firearms. Meanwhile, way accross town, in North Dakota, where there IS no gun control, where there are more than 2 million firearms, TWO people were murdered last year–they were STABBED to death.
What is needed is “Eric Holder Control”, not gun control.