Attorney General Eric Holder’s furious backpedaling – he is now claiming that he might have known about the Fast & Furious gun-running scandal last year, but didn’t hear any of the details – is entertaining to watch, even if the subject is deadly serious.
The clandestine operation made headlines when Border Patrol agent Brian Terry was murdered in a December 2010 shootout along the Mexican border with a gun that was later traced to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms’ clandestine operation.
Congressional Republicans are now calling for a special counsel to investigate whether Attorney General Eric Holder lied under oath on May 3rdwhen he told the House Judiciary Committee that he first learned about Fast & Furious in April, Fox News reports.
“I’m not sure of the exact date, but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks,” Holder testified.
However, new documents obtained by CBS News show that “Holder was sent briefings on the controversial Fast and Furious operation as far back as July 2010. That directly contradicts his statement to Congress.”
There’s also evidence that Holder knew about selling guns to drug cartels even earlier than that, when he bragged about a “Project Gunrunner” at a 2009 arms conference in Mexico.
Imagine, for a moment, Melsen trying to catch the AG’s attention:
Holder: (looks at the clock) “Okay, but hurry up. I’m late for lunch with the president.”
Melman: “Well, sir, we have this program…”
Holder: (impatiently tapping his foot) “Get on with it, man.”
Melman:… “called Fast & Furious. In essence, we, um, buy a bunch of guns, um, from local gun shops in Arizona and….”
Holder: (standing up impatiently): “Can you talk any slower?”
Melman: “…and then we (nervously clears his throat) sell the guns….”
Holder: “(putting on his jacket) Okay, got it. (turns as he walks out the door) Don’t put all of the receipts in the same account in case GAO comes snooping around.”
Melman: “(now alone): …to Mexican drug cartels. Ah, right sir, we won’t.”
Any conversation longer than that – and Holder has to be lying.
