US Attorney pleads Fifth on Fast and Furious

[jerryskids 7,085]

Federal official in Arizona to plead the fifth and not answer questions on 'furious'

By William La Jeunesse

 

Published January 20, 2012

 

The chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona is refusing to testify before Congress regarding Operation Fast and Furious, the federal gun-running scandal that sent U.S. weapons to Mexico.

 

Patrick J. Cunningham informed the House Oversight Committee late Thursday through his attorney that he will use the Fifth Amendment protection.

 

Cunningham was ordered Wednesday to appear before Chairman Darrell Issa and the House Oversight Committee regarding his role in the operation that sent more than 2,000 guns to the Sinaloa Cartel. Guns from the failed operation were found at the murder scene of Border Agent Brian Terry.

 

The letter from Cunningham’s Washington DC attorney stunned congressional staff. Last week, Cunningham, the second highest ranking U.S. Attorney in Arizona, was scheduled to appear before Issa‘s committee voluntarily. Then, he declined and Issa issued a subpoena.

 

Cunningham is represented by Tobin Romero of Williams and Connolly who is a specialist in white collar crime. In the letter, he suggests witnesses from the Department of Justice in Washington, who have spoken in support of Attorney General Eric Holder, are wrong or lying.

 

“Department of Justice officials have reported to the Committee that my client relayed inaccurate information to the Department upon which it relied in preparing its initial response to Congress. If, as you claim, Department officials have blamed my client, they have blamed him unfairly,” the letter to Issa says.

 

Romero claims Cunningham did nothing wrong and acted in good faith, but the Department of Justice in Washington is making him the fall guy, claiming he failed to accurately provide the Oversight Committee with information on the execution of Fast and Furious.

 

"To avoid needless preparation by the Committee and its staff for a deposition next week, I am writing to advise you that my client is going to assert his constitutional privilege not to be compelled to be a witness against himself." Romero told Issa.

 

This schism is the first big break in what has been a unified front in the government’s defense of itself in the gun-running scandal. Cunningham claims he is a victim of a conflict between two branches of government and will not be compelled to be a witnesses against himself, and make a statement that could be later used by a grand jury or special prosecutor to indict him on criminal charges.

 

 

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/20/federal-official-in-arizona-to-plead-fifth-and-not-answer-questions-on-furious/#ixzz1k2EweZp8

 

My link

 

I suspect the way this plays out will be that he is granted immunity for his testimony. If that happens, get your popcorn ready$#@!

 

Also, it is worth clicking through and reading the actual letter sent by his attorney.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Give him immunity and nail that fukktard Holder. That inept clown should have never been AG

[GettnHuge 2]

and make a statement that could be later used by a grand jury or special prosecutor to indict him on criminal charges.

 

:huh:

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Holder caught in more lies. This fukkweed needs to go.

 

Latest Friday night document dump shows Holder was informed of Brian Terry’s murder on day Fast & Furious weapons killed border agent

 

Attorney General Eric Holder’s Department of Justice dumped documents related to Operation Fast and Furious on congressional officials late Friday night. Central to this document dump is a series of emails showing Holder was informed of slain Border Patrol agent Brian Terry’s murder on the day it happened – December 15, 2010.

 

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.

 

“I’ll call tomorrow,” Wilkinson responded.

 

Holder has faced difficult questions surrounding the question of when he was first informed of the gunwalking program. He testified in Congress that he had only learned of Fast and Furious a “few weeks” before a May 3, 2011, House Judiciary Committee appearance.

 

Holder has since walked back that “few weeks” comment, amending it to more of a “couple months.”

 

“I did say a ‘few weeks,’” Holder said during a November 8 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, responding to a question from its chairman Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy. “I probably could’ve said ‘a couple of months.’ I didn’t think the term I said, ‘few weeks,’ was inaccurate based on what happened.”

 

There have also been a series of documents containing the intimate details of Fast and Furious that were sent to Holder throughout 2010 from several of his senior aides. Holder claims he did not read his memos.

 

Holder will be appearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform next Thursday, Feb. 2. Though Holder has already testified before Congress three times about matters relating to Fast and Furious — twice before the House Judiciary Committee and once before the Senate Judiciary Committee — this is the first time the House oversight committee will have an opportunity to question Holder himself.

 

“The Judiciary Committee has multiple issues with the Attorney General,” House oversight committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Caller last week. “We have one issue: the issue of breaking the law in order to enforce the law.”

 

“The oversight committee is investigating the Department of Justice, which is very different than his appearances before the Judiciary Committees in which they’re asking how things are going at Justice. What we’ve discovered in our investigations is a pattern of cover-up [and] delay. Ultimately Congress was given false information and now we’ve had people both resign and take the Fifth as we try to get to the basic elements of why and how was Congress lied to.”

 

A total of 103 members of the House have called for Holder’s resignation or firing, expressed “no confidence” in Holder via a formal House Resolution, or both. Two sitting governors, two U.S. senators and all the major Republican presidential candidates join those 103 congressmen in not trusting Holder. Many of those who have called for Holder’s resignation have pointed out that Holder claiming that he didn’t read his memos is a sign that he’s admitting incompetence to avoid charges of corruption.

 

http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/28/latest-friday-night-document-dump-shows-holder-was-informed-of-fast-and-furious-connection-to-brian-terry%E2%80%99s-murder-on-day-border-agent-died/

[drobeski 3,061]

Has there ever been a white house this loaded with filthy corrupt garbage. being a lying tax cheating pile for crap is a prerequisite to be appointed by barry.

Sadly many sheeptards will vote these ass clowns back in.

Hopefully pride and common sense outweigh idiocy this time around.

[edjr 6,898]

What did Nicholas Cage do wrong now?

[DanXIII 8]

Has there ever been a white house this loaded with filthy corrupt garbage.

 

Yes. Reagan's.

[edjr 6,898]

Yes. Reagan's.

 

 

 

 

 

Listen and weep Reagan lover.

 

 

Edwin Meese ring a bell?

[NorthernVike 2,095]

Yes. Nixon's ,Reagan's., Bush's (1) , Clinton's, , Bush's (2)

 

 

Carter was too focking stupid to be as corrupt as the rest of them.

[DanXIII 8]

My link

 

I suspect the way this plays out will be that he is granted immunity for his testimony. If that happens, get your popcorn ready$#@!

 

 

I would like to see this happen. If Holder is guilty the guy needs to go. And anyone else who was responsible.

[Little Rusty 19]

Has there ever been a white house this loaded with filthy corrupt garbage. being a lying tax cheating pile for crap is a prerequisite to be appointed by barry.

Sadly many sheeptards will vote these ass clowns back in.

Hopefully pride and common sense outweigh idiocy this time around.

 

[Recliner Pilot 61]

I would like to see this happen. If Holder is guilty the guy needs to go. And anyone else who was responsible.

It's obvious he has committed perjury. No wonder the most "open and transparent administration in history" has been stonewalling every attempt to get to the truth.

[DanXIII 8]

It is certainly possible. Even if he isn't, Holder has enough baggage that I expect him to tender his resignation after the election if Obama wins a la Don Rumsfeld.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Keep the heat on this corrupt fukktard.

 

By TIM MAK | 1/31/12 5:48 PM EST Updated: 2/1/12 6:41 AM EST

 

 

House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) threatened Tuesday to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress if the Justice Department did not provide certain documents in response to the committee’s subpoena.

 

In a letter to Holder, Issa wrote that “this committee will have no alternative but to move forward with proceedings to hold you in contempt of Congress” if Holder and the DOJ didn’t produce documents they demanded relating to the Fast and Furious gun-walking scandal.

 

 

Holder has until Thursday, Feb. 9. to comply, according to Issa.

 

Issa accused the Justice Department of trying to “obstruct our investigation and deceive the public” by withholding documents.

 

“Your actions lead us to conclude that the department is actively engaged in a cover-up,” he said in a four-page letter.

 

The California Republican pointed to a document that the DOJ released last Friday, which indicated that Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer had promoted gun-walking to Mexico on the same day that Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich wrote to Congress denying that the DOJ had allowed guns to walk.

 

“It is inconceivable that the Department just became aware of this highly damaging document,” writes Issa, pointing out that the Oversight Committee had originally issued a subpoena on Oct. 12, 2011.

 

Issa outlines certain documents which the DOJ has which has not been provided to the Oversight Committee, and demands their release to the committee by Feb. 9 at 5 p.m.

 

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/72246.html#ixzz1l992xjXu

[Greedo 13]

Has there ever been a white house this loaded with filthy corrupt garbage.

 

Yes - Nixon, Andrew Johnson, and US Grant come to mind immediately.

[MedStudent 56]

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hm7D2Ms_zc

 

 

 

Listen and weep Reagan lover.

 

 

Edwin Meese ring a bell?

 

[Recliner Pilot 61]

I can see the strategery now..............

 

Holder is a liar cuz George Carlin says "Meese is bad".

 

Doesn't have the same ring as "Bush is bad", but they can't run on their record.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

The Moron Holder could have had this done and behind him by now. Instead, the Most Transparent Administration in history has stalled, stonewalled, and covered up so long this will come to a head in the middle of the election. Hey Goober, this isn't going away.

 

 

On Tuesday Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House committee on Oversight and Government Reform, took a major step toward holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for his failure to provide subpoenaed documents and other information about Operation Fast and Furious.

 

In a Jan. 31 letter, Issa had threatened Holder with such a move if he failed to provide all the subpoenaed documents relating to the Fast and Furious gunwalking scandal by Feb. 9. That deadline has come and gone, and Holder’s Department of Justice still hasn’t provided most of those documents. Issa’s subpoena dates back to Oct. 12, 2011.

 

On Tuesday in a seven-page letter, Issa revealed that Deputy Attorney General James Cole begged Congress to extend the Feb. 9 deadline. Issa wrote that the request was “ironic” and “ignores the reality that the Department has unreasonably delayed producing these documents to the Committee.”

 

“On its face, the requested extension demonstrates a lack of good faith,” Issa wrote to Holder. “With one exception, the Department has only produced documents responsive to the subpoena on the eve of congressional hearings in which senior Department officials testified. The Department appears to be more concerned with protecting its image through spin control than actually cooperating with Congress.”

 

“We cannot wait any longer for the Department’s cooperation,” Issa continued. “As such, please specify a date by which you expect the Department to produce all documents responsive to the subpoena. In addition, please specify a Department representative who will interface with the Committee for production purposes.”

 

Issa added that whoever Holder designates as the go-to DOJ official for delivering subpoenaed documents “should also serve as the conduit for dealing with the contempt proceedings, should the Department continue to ignore the Committee’s subpoena.” (RELATED: Full coverage of Eric Holder)

 

The California Republican slammed Holder, too, for claiming the congressional investigation into Fast and Furious was a political game for Republicans.

“It is ironic that while the Department’s delay tactics have extended this investigation into a presidential election year, you have had the audacity to characterize it as an attempt at ‘headline-grabbing Washington ‘gotcha’ games and cynical political point scoring,’” Issa wrote to Holder on Tuesday. (RELATED: Read the full letter here)

 

Issa also attacked Holder for Justice’s failure to comply with Congressional subpoenas. “Had the Department demonstrated willingness to cooperate with this investigation from the outset — instead of attempting to cover up its own internal mismanagement — this investigation likely would have concluded well before the end of 2011. In reality, it is the Department that is playing political gotcha games, instead of allowing a co-equal branch of government to perform its constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch.”

 

Issa’s letter concluded by warning that Congress will continue to investigate Operation Fast and Furious until responsible parties are held accountable. He pointed to bipartisan support behind efforts to assign responsibility for Border Patrol agent Brian Terry’s murder, for the murders of at least 300 Mexican civilians and, likely, for the murder of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jaime Zapata.

 

“This is not an ‘election year political ‘gotcha’ game,’ but rather a bipartisan sentiment,” Issa wrote. “As Ranking Member [Democratic Rep. Elijah] Cummings promised the family of slain Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, ‘we will not rest until every single person responsible for all of this, no matter where they are, are brought to justice.’ I applaud his resolve, and I want to make it clear that Congress will not give up until this accountability has been achieved.”

 

http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/14/issa-takes-step-toward-holding-holder-in-contempt-of-congress/

[Recliner Pilot 61]

What a fukking moron. Holder keeps painting himself into corners.

 

Sorry Libturds, this isn't going away.

 

Holder Claims Emails Using Words ‘Fast and Furious’ Don’t Refer to Operation Fast and Furious

 

 

 

(CNSNews.com) – Attorney General Eric Holder claimed during congressional testimony today that internal Justice Department emails that use the phrase “Fast and Furious” do not refer to the controversial gun-walking operation Fast and Furious.

 

Under questioning from Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who read excerpts of the emails at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Justice Department oversight, Holder claimed that the phrase “Fast and Furious” did not refer to Fast and Furious but instead referred to another gun-walking operation known as “Wide Receiver.”

 

However, the emails refer to both programs -- "Fast and Furious" and the "Tucson case," from where Wide Receiver was launched -- and reveal Justice Department officials discussing how to handle media scrutiny when both operations become public.

 

Among three of the emails (see Jason Weinstein Email Fast, Furious.pdf), the second, dated “October 17, 2010 11:07 PM,” was sent by Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jason Weinstein to James Trusty and it states: “Do you think we should have Lanny participate in press when Fast and Furious and Laura’s Tucson case [Wide Receiver] are unsealed? It’s a tricky case, given the number of guns that have walked, but it is a significant set of prosecutions.”

 

In the third email, dated Oct. 18, 2010, James Trusty writes back to Weinstein: “I think so, but the timing will be tricky, too. Looks like we’ll be able to unseal the Tucson case sooner than the Fast and Furious (although this may be just the difference between Nov. and Dec).”

 

“It’s not clear how much we’re involved in the main F and F [Fast and Furious] case,” reads the email, “but we have Tucson [Wide Receiver] and now a new unrelated case with [redacted] targets. It’s not any big surprise that a bunch of US guns are being used in MX [Mexico], so I’m not sure how much grief we get for ‘guns walking.’ It may be more like ‘Finally, they’re going after people who sent guns down there.’” (See Jason Weinstein Email Fast, Furious.pdf)

 

Operation Wide Receiver was run out of Tucson, Ariz., between 2006 and 2007 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), a division of the Justice Department.

 

In his testimony, Holder said that the emails only referred to Operation Wide Receiver.

Holder told the committee: “That refers to Wide Receiver, not to Fast and Furious. The e-mail that you [Rep. Chaffetz] just read [between Trusty and Weinstein] – now this is important – that email referred to Wide Receiver, it did not refer to Fast and Furious. That has to be noted for the record.”

 

Chaffetz, after a long pause, said, "No, it doesn't. It says Fast and Furious. 'Do you think we should have Lanny participate in press when Fast and Furious and Laura’s Tucson case [Wide Receiver] are unsealed?' It's specific to Fast and Furious. That is not true, Mr. Attorney General. I'm happy to share it with you."

 

Operation Fast and Furious was carried out by the ATF. It began in the fall of 2009 and continued into early 2011, during which time the federal government purposefully allowed known or suspected gun smugglers to purchase guns at federally licensed firearms dealers in Arizona. The government did not seek to abort these gun purchases, intercept the smugglers after the purchases, or recover the guns they had purchased.

 

In some cases, as the government expected they would, the smugglers delivered the guns to Mexican drug trafficking organizations. Two rifles sold to a smuggler in the course of Operation Fast and Furious in January 2010 ended up at the scene of the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in December 2010.

 

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/holder-claims-emails-using-words-fast-and-furious-don-t-refer-operation-fast-and

[Phurfur 70]

What a fukking moron. Holder keeps painting himself into corners.

 

Sorry Libturds, this isn't going away.

 

 

 

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/holder-claims-emails-using-words-fast-and-furious-don-t-refer-operation-fast-and

 

"That depends on what the meaning of is, is" worked for Bill Clinton.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Here is the video. Catch at the very end where Holder claims "I have superior knowledge". What an asshat.

 

[MDC 7,887]

Here is the video. Catch at the very end where Holder claims "I have superior knowledge". What an asshat.

 

Don't forget he's racist too.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Don't forget he's racist too.

Shouldn't you be searching for how those Bush tax cuts "exploded the deficit"?

[MDC 7,887]

Shouldn't you be searching for how those Bush tax cuts "exploded the deficit"?

 

I have life. If / when I decide to continue the conversation you'll hang on my every word as usual. Be sure to check back all night RPIAFP.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

I have life.

 

You have been here all day, yet can't back up your claims that I clearly refuted with facts. Face it, you have been destroyed.......or you would at least attempt a save.

 

I almost feel sad for you.

[MDC 7,887]

You have been here all day, yet can't back up your claims that I clearly refuted with facts. Face it, you have been destroyed.......or you would at least attempt a save.

 

I almost feel sad for you.

 

I had a busy afternoon at work, went to the gym and came home to my wife and newborn son. In the meantime youposted 5 straight replies in that thread.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

I had a busy afternoon at work, went to the gym and came home to my wife and newborn son. In the meantime youposted 5 straight replies in that thread.

Cool.

 

I'll wait.

[Voltaire 5,491]

This is ridiculous. Holder is by far the worst/most incompetent member of the Obama administration. Hopefully this leads to Holder resigning, the sooner the better.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

This is ridiculous. Holder is by far the worst/most incompetent member of the Obama administration. Hopefully this leads to Holder resigning, the sooner the better.

....You mean, other than Obama hisownself, right?

[Voltaire 5,491]

....You mean, other than Obama hisownself, right?

No. Obama has flaws but is decent. His foreign policy is first rate. What's most maddening is his lack of interest in entitlement reform.

 

Holder by himself may very well be worse than everybody else combined.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

His foreign policy is first rate.

 

What part is first rate? Killing terrorists with drones instead of capturing them and getting all the intel they have? Our intelligence community would disagree with this. Our pipeline of info is drying up due to Obama wanting to take the easy route and drone these fukktards, and spike the football afterwards, as opposed to capturing them for the information they have.

[MDC 7,887]

What part is first rate? Killing terrorists with drones instead of capturing them and getting all the intel they have? Our intelligence community would disagree with this. Our pipeline of info is drying up due to Obama wanting to take the easy route and drone these fukktards, and spike the football afterwards, as opposed to capturing them for the information they have.

 

:cry:

[Recliner Pilot 61]

:cry:

Your insight is phenomenal.

 

Mebbe your time would be better spent backing up your claim that the Bush tax cuts exploded the deficit.

[MDC 7,887]

Your insight is phenomenal.

 

Mebbe your time would be better spent backing up your claim that the Bush tax cuts exploded the deficit.

 

I'll get to it eventually, don't worry Buffalo Bill.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

I'll get to it eventually, don't worry Buffalo Bill.

Believe me, I'm not worried Sport. :pointstosky:

[MDC 7,887]

Believe me, I'm not worried Sport. :pointstosky:

 

Worried enough to keep begging for my reply, freak.

[Voltaire 5,491]

What part is first rate? Killing terrorists with drones instead of capturing them and getting all the intel they have? Our intelligence community would disagree with this. Our pipeline of info is drying up due to Obama wanting to take the easy route and drone these fukktards, and spike the football afterwards, as opposed to capturing them for the information they have.

 

I'm a huge, huge, huge fan of drone strikes. Enormous fan. Please link to intelligence agencies disagreeing or Obama once spiking the football. Frankly, I'd expect him to do more football spiking, but the last thing the turds need is to be more p*ssed off than they already are. To his credit, Obama's been way more disciplined in this than I would be. And his kill list is broad, how I like it.

 

The problem with capturing the turds is that these operations are more difficult, expensive, dangerous, infrequent, and labor intensive and then, even if successful, "they have rights." And we've seriously compromised our ethics and integrity with the world by our interrogation tactics. Strike teams don't grow on trees. Just gathering them together is impractical sometimes when the window of opportunity is measured in minutes before focktard goes back underground. If we know where they are and the drone is there ... problem solved.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Worried enough to keep begging for my reply, freak.

Grinding you face in your lies doesn't get me worried much.

 

HTH

[MDC 7,887]

Grinding you face in your lies doesn't get me worried much.

 

HTH

 

Bump the thread again Corky. When you hit 10 unanswered posts you get a gold star for your sticker album and a Happy Meal toy.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Bump the thread again Corky. When you hit 10 unanswered posts you get a gold star for your sticker album and a Happy Meal toy.

Wow.

 

Back to this lameass schtick?

 

Good for you.