‘Gunwalker’ Whistleblower: ATF Director ‘Horribly Irresponsible’
One of the original whistleblowers on Operation Fast and Furious — which allowed thousands of guns to cross the border into Mexico — said Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Ken Melson’s testimony before congressional investigators on July 4 was nothing but “smoke and mirrors.” ATF Special Agent Vince Cefalu continued:
At this point he’s doing what anyone would do, he’s saving his own ass.
Cefalu is one of the founders of CleanUpATF.org, a message board dedicated to addressing abuses within the ATF. He is one of the most vocal critics of the heads of the organization.
Cefalu was served with a notice of termination just one day after Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who is chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the ATF warning them against retaliation towards agents who come forward to testify about the operation.
According to a release from Issa’s office, Melson secretly talked to House and Senate investigators with his personal attorney present — former United States Attorney Richard Cullen — and did so without the knowledge of the ATF or the Department of Justice.
Per the letter sent to Attorney General Eric Holder by both Issa and Grassley:
[Melson’s] interview had originally been scheduled through the Justice Department to occur on July 13 in the presence of DOJ and ATF counsel. As you know, however, under our agreement Department witnesses who choose to attend a voluntary interview with their own lawyer are free to exercise that right rather than participate with counsel representing the Department’s interests.
Cefalu questioned the presence of Melson’s lawyer:
Why would he need an attorney, why would you need all this protection if it doesn’t happen (that ATF retaliates against whistleblowers)?
According to Cefalu this is an attempt by Melson to avoid responsibility for the operation which led to the deaths of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Jaime Zapata, and more than 150 Mexican nationals. New reports now say that guns from Fast and Furious are being found in Arizona, having come full circle from the operation which was based in Phoenix. Said Cefalu:
He’s horribly irresponsible. He’s not taking responsibility for what he’s done. At the end of the day he made decisions on behalf of ATF and people died for it.
Cefalu said the operation was never about actually arresting cartel members for arms trafficking, it was about headlines for the ATF and its upper echelons, more budget, more gun control, and more media attention for ATF:
There’s no Mister Big in Mexico, there’s no … Iron Pipeline. It doesn’t exist.
When everybody is screaming terrorism and counterterrorism no one wants to talk to anyone but the FBI. If there’s gunrunning on the border and thousands of guns flowing into Mexico it’s more headlines for ATF.
It’s fame and glory and grabbing headlines.
Cefalu said the operation was akin to the DEA deciding to track the flow of drugs in a major city by putting tons of high-quality heroin on the streets, then waiting for a rash of overdoses to see which part of the city had the most drug activity.
Meanwhile, emails have revealed that high-level officials within DOJ were aware of the operation, which Attorney General Eric Holder has repeatedly said he only found out about when the story broke.
According to the emails, Assistant Attorney General (Criminal Division) Lanny Breuer, Melson, Acting Deputy Director of the ATF William Hoover, DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart, and Director of the FBI Robert Mueller were all aware of the operation.
It defies belief that Holder was unaware of the operation, and it is highly unlikely that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano were unaware of an operation that had both national security and international relations implications. It seems increasingly likely there will be multiple resignations as a result of this investigation and possibly criminal prosecutions.
Update: Someone in Congress funded Gunwalker via the stimulus bill.
Left/liberal minds at work. Vote GOP in 2012!
Lanny Breuer, Designated Cut-Out
Serious feces have been spotted donning their wings.
I just got a mental picture of turds that look like flies with serious, even angry, expressions on their faces.
This is huge compared to waterboarding. Where is the outrage by the liberals?
Thanks for the bumper sticker idea!
“The ATF killed more people
with “Gunwalker” than Bush
did with Waterboarding”
Melson’s denials of responsibility are more improbable than Holder’s. He’s not quite “singing like a canary,” as this case needs.
These governmental criminals always sqauwk about the citizens and guns and the need for more gun control and they prove again that law enforcement with government encouragment are the source of the magority of illegal guns on the street. They make laws that restrict law abiding citizens and either make them victims or criminals while they acually give guns the the most dangerous murderers of all and good people have died because of it. They should be made an example of by the very laws they use to criminalize the citizens with. Isn’t there a law that says if you break a law that causes someone to die then you are a murderer?
It’s called “felony murder.” In most states if someone dies while you are in commission of a felony then it’s murder, even if you didn’t kill them. Gun trafficking is a felony.
Dream on, Patrick. Dream on.
We could only hope!
What did the President know and when did he know it?
Of course this will be the famouse, “I was busy golfing at the time the decision was made-just ask Al Gore who also was out of the room because he drank too much tea,” escuse….
If this story never finds its way to the three major networks, the times and the post, it will die. If that happens, we are all in a lot of trouble.
Scary stuff indeed.
CBS has been reporting on it since February 2011.
But…, It Was For The Children or something.
I’ve wondered what the next president will do to get rid of all these lefties in the “intelligence agencies”. Well, maybe this is the way.
The state department always worked against Bush and he didn’t do anything about it. I hope the next pres has the cahones (?) to really go after these people and put them in the unemployment lines.
I remember one of the last Executive Orders Bill Clinton signed as he was going out the door was an order that made 60% or so of the Presidential Appointment positions at State Department into Career Appointments. This was so Bush would have a “Clinton” State Department. Couple that with the recount sage and no “transition time”. (I am sure Hilary was glad that all her old friends were still there when she arrived.) Let’s also remember that Colin Powell was the secretary of State under Bush. The only thing he was interested in, as far as personnel is concerned, was Affirmative Action in the State Department.
The Justice Department was different. There was cleaning out of that Department. It has taken Obama’s administration this long to begin playing offence in this area. Up until now they could only refuse to bring charges or refuse to defend the law at the Supreme Court. Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago the headline was “the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice is ‘now open’”. It took them this long.
AHHHHH….Clinton. the good ol’ days.
But, ione, if Clinton (spit!) did that by EO, then Bush could have un-done it by EO. Why didn’t he?
Cahones (sp) = cojones.
So Watergate was SUCH a big deal. Bad political theater about a break-in and robbery to try to find dirt on a party’s candidate. The “coverup” became the BIG story ultimately leading to the resignation of a president.
Wait! Did anyone die? NO!
Over at the newspaper of record…….not a word about this story and coverup. No Woodward or Bernstein this time.
Truly pathetic and disgraceful.
Unfortunately so many government employees are democrats that we will not see any information “leaked” on this issue.
On one of these articles was an reference from a newspaper stating obama’s desire to limit guns and that he would do it under the radar. I would like to print and keep it to take to our papers along with these articles. Does anyone know where it is or a reference to it? If so thanks!
It was Dennis Burke and the US Attorney’s office he heads here in Arizona that was out front of the cameras regarding the high-profile gun trafficing busts here – not the ATF. We have since learned that Burke’s office was the headquarters and central staging point for the entire opperations.
While I applaud agent Ceflau’s courage and committment to opening up these revelations as a whistleblower – I am hesitant to buy into his reaction. Being a crucial witness doesn’t mean he’s an exclusive one.
Melson has obviously chosen to cover his ass, but that doesn’t mean he’s the liar and scoundral Ceflau seems determined to portray him as, or even if he is, not useful when unraveling just who knew or ordered what & when – either pre or post cover up.
In Phoenix many of us are particularly interested in whether Burke was in fact the point man. Just like several other former advisors to then Janet Napolitano as governor he rode her coattails to bigger and better paying venues, and in the process has been part of an administration whose legal and political strategies has singled out Arizona for continued abuse.
As such I’m not so interested in the personal axes to grind – which is certainly what this sounds like.
After being treated like a rouge state – called everything from the new incarnation of racism in the southwest to just plain idots- mainly in the service of placating Mexico, It’s satisfying to know people as capable as Issa are determined to hold those who have been abusing us accountable. Obama has been imlicit in the politics that has facilitated the abuse.
Dennis Burke wasn’t just any advisor to Napolitano – HE WAS HER CHEIF OF STAFF -her most trusted advisor for about half of her time in office – and he enjoyed that distinction to become the overwhelming (with practically zero opposition) choice to take the US Attorney positon – a position by the way that was partly opened by the Democrats assault on the Dept of Justice back in ’06 – all over politics involving immigration issues for those with short memories.
I don’t buy all these nonsense claims of ‘firewall’ innocence from Holder or Napolitano. That they were off tending to more important business and hense were unaware of this minor program.
Neither did I expect that Melson would just fall on his sword and take a plea deal. He was after all a Bush holdover.
Doesn’t anyone find it ironic that to kick off the Obama re-election cycle Napolitano joins with Sen Durbin of ILL to parade dozens of young latinos lobbying congress for the DREAM ACT – while both Napolitano and Holder have been scrambling to keep Issa and Grassley in the dark over ‘gun runner’?
Did they hold this carnival sideshow knowing that Sen Leahy would soon negotiate the private investigation? I don’t have any idea, but, I am skeptical as well.
The politics of this ‘felony stupid’ disgrace extend way way beyond the personal agenda of one whistleblowing ATF agent with his temporarily appointed Head Dufus.
Yes it’s all the more tragic and outrageous that people, it seems many more Mexican than American’s, died. It’s Issa and Grassley, not agent Ceflau, respectfully, that I’ll place my trust in to get to the bottom of this mess.
No matter how much it smells, I suspect Melson is much more a touchstone of valuable info – and that is what to me matters most. There is going to be a lot of public posturing like this – just look at the Mexicans – they are always wagging fingers our way about the death penalty but now they want us to deliver up high ranking government officials to try in Mexico?
Such press campaigns just come with the territory. Its a small price to pay to get at the truth – something Mexico has no taste for either (nor willing to sacrifice to – being one of the most corrupt countries on the planet).
The innocents did not die. They were murdered, and ruthlessly murdered by weapons provided to the drug cartels by this government. If they get away with these shocking crimes, nothing will be off limits to them. Nothing. We will end up a nation of people TERRIFIED of our own government.
Getting rid of the cockroaches (via elections) in power now is only half the battle. The next president we elect needs to understand how deeply our country’s institutions have been undercut thanks to Bush – Clinton – Bush – and now Obama. It isn’t just about party affiliation of the occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave – its about their understanding of how progressives ingratiate themselves into our bureaucratic functions to ‘steer’ our country’s direction. Case in point is this Gunwalker idea. Boneheaded yes, but the ideas behind it seems to be targeted at killing several birds with a single stone. Progressives love ‘two-fers’ – something that does more than one thing – and seem incapable of thinking the problem through to a logical conclusion – one of which is “what if we get caught”? How indeed they think – we are the overlords of the masses – the ruling class – we don’t get caught. This is how they think. Don’t let whistle-blowers distract you too much – often they are simply covering their own ass.
At the very least Gunwalker was hatched out of the idea that ATF could bolster it’s lagging fortunes by showing a need for more ATF bureaucracy (money & power) – and if it handed the kook progressives in Congress another good reason for more oppressive gun control on the honest folk in fly-over country why that would be frosting on the cake. And what the hell – Obama could use this as a campaign plank – railing against gun proliferation and for more gun control – hells bells – maybe Holder could sue Arizona for its slacker gun control laws. They are the party of unintended consequences – the effects of gun control of intercity populaces that harm the honest folk more than it ever has the criminal. Long list that unintended consequences associated with the libs/progressives.
Did they ever think they’d get caught in the act? Where’s the plausible cover story?
They never thought this one through.
I get Cefalu’s being upset with Melson, but without Melson, you will not get Holder and others. That means he gets a deal. Standard procedure. If this gets Holder, Napolitano, the head of the FBI, and Obama, I just do not care if Melson gets away. In this crowd, he is a little fish.
I want this to go on and on through next year. When Obama is out of office, and can no longer be shielded by exec privilege, I want it to continue. It would expose very rotten thing he did in office. It would also cost him a ton of money for his lawyers, might even break him. I want this whole rotten edifice exposed to the public. I want them to actually see it for what it is.
I especially want Holder punished for everything he has done.
If Holder didn’t know about Project Gunrunner, why did he give a speech about it 2 years ago?
http://www.justice.gov/ag/speeches/2009/ag-speech-090402.html
DUDE!!!
Holder is so busted.
Hold on now. What’s ‘Gunwalker’? What’s ‘Gunrunner’? And what’s ‘Fast and Furious?”
The crimes that will bring down Barky and his puppeteers.
Most excellent.
Anonymous, you da man!
BAN the BATFE! Eliminate their budget 100%, apply that to the debt! We don’t need them. They killed everyone at WACO TX and now are running guns into Mexico. Eliminate the BATFE!
your right on about WACO reno should have been long gone along with the batfe
ATF Gunrunner Project Funded by Stimulus Bill
http://weaselzippers.us/2011/07/07/atf-gunrunner-project-funded-by-stimulus-bill/
@13. Goldi
The article you reference was written in April to “introduce” us to Steve Croley, Obama’s new gun control czar.
Here’s a link to the original WaPo article -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/over-a-barrel-meet-white-house-gun-policy-adviser-steve-croley/2011/04/04/AFt9EKND_story.html
All of it makes for pretty disturbing reading in light of what we now are learning about the illegal and deadly activities pursued at every level of this administration, with an apparent goal of generating popular support for the far left public disarmament policies Obama and crew so adore.
From the article’s third page, here are the paragraphs that include the “under the radar” reference:
“On March 30, the 30th anniversary of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, Jim Brady, who sustained a debilitating head wound in the attack, and his wife, Sarah, came to Capitol Hill to push for a ban on the controversial ‘large magazines.’ Brady, for whom the law requiring background checks on handgun purchasers is named, then met with White House press secretary Jay Carney. During the meeting, President Obama dropped in and, according to Sarah Brady, brought up the issue of gun control, ‘to fill us in that it was very much on his agenda,’ she said.
“‘I just want you to know that we are working on it,’ Brady recalled the president telling them. ‘We have to go through a few processes, but under the radar.’
“In the meeting, she said, Obama discussed how records get into the system and what can be done about firearms retailers. Her husband specifically brought up the proposed ban on large magazine clips, and she noted that even former vice president Dick Cheney had suggested that some restrictions on the clips might make sense.
“‘He just laughed,’ Sarah Brady said approvingly of the president. Both she and her husband, she emphasized, had absolute confidence that the president was committed to regulation.”
To me, the sentence *after* “radar” is the most alarming. While the Bradys came to discuss high capacity magazines, Obama wanted to talk about records systems and firearms dealers. It’s no stretch to infer that these aspects had lately filled his hours and his thoughts regarding gun control. These were his then-current interests.
How do we know that “under the radar” refers to this particular operation? This operation proves nothing except that the GOVERNMENT is surreptitiously providing weapons to Mexican gangs. I think the government intentionally gave guns to gangs, probably for their own profiteering. They may now be making noises about gun control, but it is smoke and mirrors — a cover-up for their own misdeeds.
fud: Thank you soooo much. Appreciate you taking the time to post it!
Gun-Running Timeline: How DOJ’s ‘Operation Fast and Furious’ Unfolded—
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/gun-running-timeline-how-doj-s-operation
I hope Team Obama is sweating bullets right now. Obviously Ken Melson refused to be the sacrificial victim and take one for the team. I hope he points to the sky and shows Darell Issa just how high this turd tower goes. The Old Media can ignore this at their own risk, because it is not going away. This is a storyline worthy of Tom Clancy, and the fireworks have just begun. Get some competent bodyguards, Mr. Melson!
‘Gun Runner’ – ‘Gun Walker’ – ‘Fast and Furious’ – call it what you will – but know this – ‘Laws have been broken’ – ‘many people are dead’ – and ‘Obama and his dwarfs will have even more indiscretions to pay for’!
You can blog – you can blab – you can blaze – you can try to influence voters – but you will end up blathering and losing out to more ‘public important’ ‘Anthony’ type coverage by the liberal net works and their print out lets!
Oh and the time will come when possessing a firearm will be illegal – so get yours while you can and stash them along with plenty of ammunition.
Also get a guide book (a copy of the constitution ) and brush up on the part that refers to the elimination of the bad seeds of a corrupt Government.
Just do it!
“If Holder didn’t know about Project Gunrunner, why did he give a speech about it 2 years ago?”
http://www.justice.gov/ag/speeches/2009/ag-speech-090402.html
Holder speech on April 2, 2009 (according to DOJ site!): “Last week, our administration launched a major new effort to break the backs of the cartels. My department is committing 100 new ATF personnel to the Southwest border in the next 100 days to supplement our ongoing Project Gunrunner, DEA is adding 16 new positions on the border, as well as mobile enforcement teams, and the FBI is creating a new intelligence group focusing on kidnapping and extortion. DHS is making similar commitments, as Secretary Napolitano will detail.”
Until there’s a full investigation, one can’t ‘assume’ that this is an attempt to add more restrictive gun laws. Innocent until proven guilty and this early stage of investigation doesn’t offer the proof necessary to ‘convict’.
Government will NOT take away the 2nd amendment without a revolution that will take out government with the intent to restore a government that honors our
Constitution and Bill of Rights. We currently have a group of leaders who have become so unrealistic as to think that they are a step higher and better than
the people yet I’m sure like the rest of us they wipe their own ass. 332,000,000
citizens will overwhelm government and bring it back to reality. Unfortunately,
we have an anti American president who is hell bent on ruining America. Do not fall for his attacks on various middle east countries. This is to rid them of their current leaders who are against the Muslim attempt to take control.
I am glad to see you guys are still reporting on this. I do question Gov. Brewer and other border state elected officials. Why have they not come out so strongly against this and doing there song and dance? They screamed bloody murder about how bad the border is.Seems as though if they were that concerned they would be bringing more attention to their cause.