The administration that promised to be the most transparent in history provided another late Friday docu-dump to minimize press attention to an adverse story. This one contains emails that prove that AG Eric Holder’s office was informed about the circumstances of Brian Terry’s death the very day it happened.
An email from one official, whose name has been redacted from the document, to now-former Arizona U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke reads: “On December 14, 2010, a BORTAC agent working in the Nogales, AZ AOR was shot. The agent was conducting Border Patrol operations 18 miles north of the international boundary when he encountered [redacted word] unidentified subjects. Shots were exchanged resulting in the agent being shot. At this time, the agent is being transported to an area where he can be air lifted to an emergency medical center.”
That email was sent at 2:31 a.m. on the day Terry was shot. One hour later, a follow-up email read: “Our agent has passed away.”
Burke forwarded those two emails to Holder’s then-deputy chief of staff Monty Wilkinson later that morning, adding that the incident was “not good” because it happened “18 miles w/in” the border.
Wilkinson responded to Burke shortly thereafter and said the incident was “tragic.” “I’ve alerted the AG [Holder], the Acting DAG, Lisa, etc.”
Then, later that day, Burke followed up with Wilkinson after Burke discovered from officials whose names are redacted that the guns used to kill Terry were from Fast and Furious. “The guns found in the desert near the murder BP officer connect back to the investigation we were going to talk about – they were AK-47s purchased at a Phoenix gun store,” Burke wrote to Wilkinson.
Holder has said that he only learned the details of Fast and Furious a few weeks before Congressional hearings on it. But the emails prove that he knew Terry had been killed the day of the killing, and that his office knew the gun involved was from Fast and Furious. Which means his deputy chief of staff, at least, knew of Fast and Furious a long time before Holder has admitted that he did.
Is it plausible that Wilkinson knew but Holder didn’t?
You’re getting sloppy, Bryan.
Your own blockquote shows that Wilkinson says he told Holder:
Absent evidence to the contrary, I’d tend to believe the statement that he had “alerted” (i.e. notified) AG Holder.
That says he knew the guy died. That’s not the issue.
Knowing that a Border Patrol Agent was gunned down, and not inquiring into the circumstances raises a huge issue. The issue raised is: Is the AG simply incompetent or is he a perjurer?
Matt Boyle updated his article. Wilkinson says he doesn’t recall informing Holder. But in follow-up, DOJ spokesperson pointedly refuses to confirm that Holder wasn’t informed.
“Maybe, maybe not, maybe, maybe not, maybe, maybe not . . .”; we’re in full modified limited hang-out territory now.
okay will the see no evil hear no evil Congress do something about this criminal now?? This cannot continue. Holder should already be under impeachment for failure to prosecute the New Black Panthers. Lying to Congress?? Are they going to sit on their hands again?
…reading here and there other assertions of Holder’s evasive lying, why can’t the sum of these accounts be translated into an Impeachment Inquiry?
Certainly this situation involving the death of a Federal Employee caused by a weapon utilized in an extra-legal(?…I’m not a lawyer..)undercover Federal Operation is more serious than President Clinton’s liaison in that coat room with that Intern Monica.
So, genius, what is your plan for getting a Democrat Senate to convict him? Why waste political capital on a fight that simply cannot be won. The failed impeachment of WJC did irreparable harm to the Republican brand and we nominally controlled the Senate. You sure as Hell ain’t going to impeach ANY Democrat for ANYTHING with the Democrats controlling the Senate.
Well golly gee whiz I was under the impression that every one of the Congress took an oath to uphold the Constitution. If allowing this type of treasonous activities to be simply a matter of politics and CYA we are completely ruined as a Republic. If that is all we have left is we may as well vote for Little Lenin and make our decline/ruin complete….so as not to hurt the ‘brand’.
If holder didn’t know, then he is incompetent. Either Retire, fire or impeach the lying SOB.
I wonder if Terry had been black or Hispanic, would Holder’s response be different. Terrible question to ask, but it must be asked.
Go figure.
It is unlikely that had the victim been black or hispanic it would have changed the game. The race card is just that for leftists, a strategic play. They really couldnt care one way or the other about race.
The game here is to create an atmosphere of terror that presents opportunities for gun control measures; kinda race neutral. Or maybe, since I dont think like they do, I dont see how race could up their game.
There seems to be little point in railing about AG Holder’s criminal behavior. What does the bastard have to do to get the noose? Kill and eat babies while simultaneously raping a nun on primetime television?
The same could be said about Captain Zero.
Uh oh…..you used a prohibited word (noose).
That will set off an alarm at Media Matters HQ.
You’re talking about the AG being a criminal worthy of being put to death for knowing about an operation the Phoenix ATF hand already run, just like they had been for years.
Can’t he get the same free pass you’ve all given the ATF?
The distinction you’ve drawn in who you’re outraged about and who is somehow responsible seems very black and white, ahem.
I think you are a little unclear on the details. The AG and probably Captain Zero concocted the gun-running scheme as a slight variation on operations that were run in the past designed to actually stop the cartel gun-running. True, the past operations were a dismal failure, but their intent was righteous.
The intent of ‘fast and furious’ and it’s sister operations was purely to put as many american guns in the hands of the cartels as possible to justify clamping down on gun sales here in the US.
What they did was arm enemies of the US and our ally Mexico for the sake of social engineering. They wanted to create a river of blood to justify empowering themselves and making us helpless. They were successful in creating the river of blood. It is treason of the highest order, and the noose is not over the top. I dont see giving anyone a pass on this. Anyone who willingly participated should be held accountable. If that means dancing while messing their pants, then so be it.
LaSuthenboy, you deserve to be commended for your forbearance in responding to a misleading claim followed by a nasty accusation.