Was the FBI complicit in Fast & Furious debacle?
posted at 3:20 pm on July 25, 2011 by Ed Morrissey
Thus far, the questions about Operation Fast and Furious have focused on the ATF’s botched handling of gun sales and interdiction, and to those in the Department of Justice who may have known about the debacle and failed to stop it. Fox News’ William LaJeunesse and Laura Prabucki now have an exclusive report on a potential expansion of the scandal into the FBI — and efforts by the Obama administration to stonewall Congress about it:
In the latest chapter of the gunrunning scandal known as Operation Fast and Furious, federal officials are refusing to explain how two suspects obtained more than 360 weapons despite criminal records that should have prevented them from buying even one gun.
Under current federal law, people with felony convictions are not permitted to buy weapons, and those with felony arrests are typically flagged while the FBI conducts a thorough background check.
However, according to court records reviewed by Fox News, two of the 20 defendants indicted in the Fast and Furious investigation have felony convictions and criminal backgrounds that experts say, at the very least, should have delayed them buying a single firearm. Instead, the duo bought dozens of guns on multiple occasions while federal officials watched on closed-circuit cameras.
Congressional and law-enforcement sources say the situation suggests the FBI, which operates the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, knowingly allowed the purchases to go forward after consulting with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which initiated Operation Fast and Furious. Under the failed anti-gun trafficking program, straw buyers — those who legally purchase guns and illegally sell them to a third party — were allowed to buy guns, many of which were sold to Mexican drug cartel members.
If true, this development is important for two reasons. First, it shows that Operation Fast and Furious wasn’t really about stopping gun trafficking by straw buyers. The NICBCS would have stopped sales to Jacob Wayne Chambers and Sean Christopher Stewart in Phoenix under normal circumstances. Chambers had been arrested for felony burglary the year before buying weapons through ATF’s intervention, and Stewart had a previous record and a warrant out for his arrest when he successfully bought 290 weapons. Since the purpose of OF&F was ostensibly to see where the system broke down as well as how weapons trafficking occurred over the border, an FBI flag on the two buyers would have shown that the system worked to prevent those sales at all.
Second, if the FBI did allow those sales to pass because of OF&F, that strongly suggests that the real responsibility for this deadly debacle wasn’t in the ATF at all, but in the Department of Justice. Coordination between the two agencies can obviously occur without explicit DoJ involvement, but authorizing sales of weapons to felons doesn’t sound like something the FBI would do without orders from above. The other possibility is that both agencies went rogue, which still would point back to the DoJ for responsibility in governing the law-enforcement agencies under their authority.
Congress needs to get answers soon, but as LaJeunesse and Prabucki report, the Obama administration isn’t supplying any. That in itself suggests answers to the above questions, none of which are confidence-builders in the DoJ. Under Eric Holder, this is looking not just like the most politicized DoJ in American history, but possibly the most incompetent as well.
Blowback
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Does sleazy Eric Holder love Black Panthers ?
viking01 on July 25, 2011 at 3:25 PM
Transparency! Accountability!
gwelf on July 25, 2011 at 3:25 PM
Obviously just an attempt to take community organizing international.
dirtseller on July 25, 2011 at 3:26 PM
These weapons have already started turning up at crime scenes in Phoenix. It’s just a matter of time before more innocent U.S. citizens (other than the two LE officers we already know about) are killed by some of these guns.
AZCoyote on July 25, 2011 at 3:26 PM
We’ve passed the point where Eric Holder’s removal from office will suffice as a penalty. His appointment, and maintaining him in that office, are themselves acts of criminal negligence.
Dee2008 on July 25, 2011 at 3:27 PM
Fake Scandal.
/crr6
Del Dolemonte on July 25, 2011 at 3:27 PM
ATF, FBI, DOJ, DHS…
There’s a LOT of alphabet soup agencies which will likely get a Congressionally-directed enema over this mess.
Issa and company need to start issuing subpoenas and getting more people similar to Melson to flip on their higher-ups like Holder.
teke184 on July 25, 2011 at 3:28 PM
They broke the law in order to make the same laws tougher on American citizens. It doesn’t need any more explanation than that. I doubt I could be convinced that this whole thing blew up because no agency knew what the other was doing.
Mord on July 25, 2011 at 3:28 PM
Excuse me for asking, but don’t these exact same type of tactics being employed by the White House sound like the same tactics that were employed years ago when we had this little thing called WATERGATE happening?
pilamaye on July 25, 2011 at 3:28 PM
bear shit woods
theblacksheepwasright on July 25, 2011 at 3:30 PM
horrendous
rob verdi on July 25, 2011 at 3:31 PM
Issa’s next hearing is tomorrow. Expect the Democrat Media to completely ignore it.
Prediction: the Democrat Media will instead focus on the hearing the following day, when Rep. Peter King holds his 3rd “Radicalization Hearing”:
Expect the Democrat Media to continue trashing King for his “anti-Islam views”.
Del Dolemonte on July 25, 2011 at 3:31 PM
How does it feel to have your own government commit crimes in order to justify cracking down on civil liberties. All this time, I thought that “V for Vendetta” was a liberal wet-dream, lol.
Mord on July 25, 2011 at 3:31 PM
… and all of the Departments contained therein.
All to push the political agenda of gun control…
… Can’t wait to see Obowma on the stand.
Seven Percent Solution on July 25, 2011 at 3:31 PM
They tried to create a situation that would get rid of the 2nd Amendment. All they succeeded in doing (besides killing a bunch of LEOs) is showing why we need the 2nd Amendment as much as ever.
pedestrian on July 25, 2011 at 3:33 PM
Does Michelle Obama like ribs?
Is water wet?
Is Hillary a hack?
Is the universe expanding?
SouthernGent on July 25, 2011 at 3:35 PM
Shred the Constitution and you are just doing your job.
Don’t pay a buck at the toll plaza, go to jail.
Limerick on July 25, 2011 at 3:38 PM
Pfffft. Please. Can we now concentrate on Bachmann’s occasional migraines?
Bishop on July 25, 2011 at 3:39 PM
This is really starting to grow legs — olympic record holding squat size legs. The motivation behind the OF&F grows more sinister by the day. I believe Holder and the rest of the black liberation theology believers at DOJ had far more in mind than just checking for weaknesses in the system.
ClanDerson on July 25, 2011 at 3:40 PM
Are we sure this was the goal of this operation? Or was it to arm their buddies south of the border? Who cares who was murdered because of it…right?
Incompetent? I would have said, criminal. Because truly…that’s the only way to see it.
capejasmine on July 25, 2011 at 3:42 PM
NMRN123 on July 25, 2011 at 3:42 PM
And another thing…
If this were the AG under Bush, or any Republican president, Pelosi would have their fingernails extracted by now.
capejasmine on July 25, 2011 at 3:43 PM
A solid B+
OldeSCfan on July 25, 2011 at 3:47 PM
Dragging it out is good.
faraway on July 25, 2011 at 3:49 PM
Does the pope sh!t in the woods?
Vyce on July 25, 2011 at 3:51 PM
A little OT, but a good analysis of the Scary-Looking Weapons ban:
NMRN123 on July 25, 2011 at 3:52 PM
Did you hear that John Huntsman!! is running for president?
kringeesmom on July 25, 2011 at 3:52 PM
DOJ excuses for all the redactions on official correspondence turned over to Issa’s group don’t pass the smell test, either.
a capella on July 25, 2011 at 3:53 PM
Why stop at the FBI…?
(for those of you who missed it last week)
Seven Percent Solution on July 25, 2011 at 3:54 PM
Sadly it will not grow legs. The Democrat Media is desperately ignoring the story; C-BS “News” broke the original story 6 months ago, but earlier this month mysteriously took their original reporter off the story when it got too close to Holder and his Boss.
Believe it or not, the LA Times has been covering the story. Along with Fox News, they are the only ones now.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-fast-furious-20110725,0,7881661.story
short snip:
As for Sharyl Attkisson, who originally broke this story for C-BS “News” 6 months ago, she’s been reassigned to “cover” a much more grave story:
Del Dolemonte on July 25, 2011 at 3:56 PM
Awwww this is probably nothing more than Obama building his civilian army. Gotta keep the troops armed and happy when they go to work on us.
capejasmine on July 25, 2011 at 3:57 PM
Yep. It was an attempt to frame the 2nd Amendment, and get it ripped off the document. Treason.
Limerick on July 25, 2011 at 3:57 PM
I’m O.K. with the concept of slow public bleedout through the last 3 quarters of 2012, but anytime sooner is also satisfactory.
I’d say for the sake of Brian Terry’s family, sooner would probably be better.
a capella on July 25, 2011 at 3:57 PM
Yep. This is all vapor because the media is NEVER going to cover this.
Dr. Carlo Lombardi on July 25, 2011 at 3:58 PM
Bob Owens at Pajamas Media has reported that there is evidence the Obama Administration sold grenades and other military grade weapons and gear to the Mexican drug cartels. This appears to be a criminal conpsiracy carried out at the highest levels of our government, not incompetency.
flyfisher on July 25, 2011 at 4:01 PM
Under Eric Holder, this is looking not just like the most politicized DoJ in American history, but possibly the most incompetent as well.
You forgot to add “and the most criminal.”
Corky Boyd on July 25, 2011 at 4:03 PM
Ed, I’m glad to see that you are beginning to recognize the magnitude of this bloody travesty. To those with the wit and the courage to see what they see, it has been obvious from the very beginning that the DOJ’s explanations were simply preposterous, and the absolute stonewalling is a certain sign of higher-ups trying to cover their tracks.
List of witnesses for tomorrow:
Witnesses
Mr. Carlos Canino – ATF Acting Attaché to Mexico
Mr. Darren Gil – Former ATF Attaché to Mexico
Mr. Jose Wall – ATF Senior Special Agent, Tijuana, Mexico
Mr. Lorren Leadmon – ATF Intelligence Operations Specialist
Mr. William Newell – Former ATF Special Agent in Charge, Phoenix Field Division
Mr. William McMahon – ATF Deputy Assistant Director for Field Operations (West, including Phoenix and Mexico)
I expect the guys from Mexico to say that when they learned about these operations (there is evidence of three involving Mexico, two from Texas, one from Arizona), they were told not to inform Mexican officials.
The last three ought to be very, very interesting.
novaculus on July 25, 2011 at 4:07 PM
YES Damn it! They knew about it! ! ! ! !
tx2654 on July 25, 2011 at 4:14 PM
John Ross was right.
fossten on July 25, 2011 at 4:16 PM
Before my 3:51 PM post, I did a Google News search to find the most recent stories about this scandal. This here HA thread was the first result, followed by the Fox News story and then the LA Times piece I cited in that post.
The rest of the results? Blogs.
What I’d like to ask C-BS is why their original reporter breaking this story was suddenly taken off the story just when it started to get close to the WH.
Or maybe she was a true O’bama Kneepad who couldn’t bear to possibly expose corruption in his Administration and left the story on her own?
Del Dolemonte on July 25, 2011 at 4:20 PM
Incompetent? Not the word I would use.
LastRick on July 25, 2011 at 4:20 PM
slickwillie2001 on July 25, 2011 at 4:22 PM
Botched handling? incompetent? Rogue agencies?
Really, Ed? You are too bright for that. You aren’t naive enough to believe that spin.
Stayright on July 25, 2011 at 4:29 PM
There is a very mild analog regarding a minor aspect of the cover-up, but no, not really. Watergate was a bumbling attempt to get inside information about an opposing campaign, that turned into a large coverup, at least partially decided by the President.
OF&F is our Justice Department using FBI and BATFE resources to criminally place guns with international criminals. Superficially, the purpose was to follow the chain of possession to the “big fish”. Clearly that has never happened, and almost as clearly, was never the real purpose, or else two felons would never have been permitted to make these massive purchases. Now these illegally delivered weapons are finding their way back across the border with criminally-minded illegal aliens, harming U.S. Citizens.
Please tell me how many uninvolved citizens were physically harmed because of the 1972 break-in of the DNC hotel room? There is no parallel until you can do so.
As for the coverup of OF&F, it spans DoJ, BATFE, FBI, and we have as yet no idea how much more of our Executive Branch.
Freelancer on July 25, 2011 at 4:36 PM
Nixon’s greatest crime was the creation of the EPA. Watergate was peanuts.
slickwillie2001 on July 25, 2011 at 4:38 PM
Incompetent and corrupt. Very incompetent, stupid really, and rotten to the core.
Ed is just beginning to grasp the possibility that this is a criminal conspiracy to violate US and Mexican law that goes to the top of the Obama administration. In fact, the probability approaches certainty at this point. It isn’t limited to Fast and Furious or the DOJ either. It involves, at least, high level political appointees in the DOJ, Homeland Security, and State.
Personally, I don’t see how something this monstrously big could have been done without Obama’s authority. Heads will roll, and the only question in my mind at this point is if the bloody trail leads all the way to the White House, or if they can scrub the end of it by having Eric Holder and maybe even Janet Napolitano fall on their swords.
novaculus on July 25, 2011 at 4:42 PM
Freelancer on July 25, 2011 at 4:36 PM
You don’t believe G. Gordon Liddy’s claim that the break-in was ordered by John Dean for the purpose of recovering evidence the Dems had proving John Dean’s wife had been involved with a call girl ring? I think Liddy has even claimed the madam was in some of their wedding photos.
flyfisher on July 25, 2011 at 4:47 PM
Illegal?
Remember, Holder was a member of Bill Clinton’s DOJ too. Janet Reno taught him well.
Del Dolemonte on July 25, 2011 at 4:50 PM
The FBI is now run as a subsidiary of the criminal enterprise headed by Eric Holder and Obama which has replaced Justice in the USA.
landlines on July 25, 2011 at 4:51 PM
Turn these two agencies over. make it hurt all the way up.
ted c on July 25, 2011 at 4:55 PM
As has been mentioned the State Dept. exported FA weapons and grenades to the Zetas, which is going around treaty obligations to Mexico, which means going around our IMEX controls. Throw in Castaway and Honduras with at least the Tampa office of BATF involved and you get the lovely alphabet soup that goes from DoJ to DoS to DHS to Commerce…
Mind you no one got killed because of Watergate.
ajacksonian on July 25, 2011 at 4:57 PM
Eric Holder incompetent?
Try felonious.
I am an avid shooter and I assiduously comply with all Federal and state gun laws.
This may be the watershed even which blows this matter wide open.
But Obama will at least be able to pardon Holder and the others involved – after the 2012 election and before the innauguration of our 45th President.
molonlabe28 on July 25, 2011 at 4:58 PM
But….but…but that can’t happen! EVERYONE knows that Bush had the most politicized DOJ! The Democrats have said so!
This whole stinking mess goes all the way to the top!
Nixon had Watergate. Barry has Fast and Furious.
GarandFan on July 25, 2011 at 4:58 PM
The obvious reply to the headline question is:
Of COURSE they were complicit.
The real question is, “why and toward what end” were they engaged in this.
I was thinking this over a bit earlier today and something came to mind:
– generating a surge in the wretched crime that occurs in Mexico would be one way to force a continued if not expanded influx of Mexican Nationals (and populations from other countries impacted by that crime surge) upon the U.S. despite our laws and despite our citizens’ complaints about it.
It’d also provide the vote-surge for the Leftwing in the U.S. once that surge arrived (as they have) here.
Thus, encouragement if not also the tools to encourage a massive rise in crime in Mexico would benefit…the Left in the U.S.
Lourdes on July 25, 2011 at 5:06 PM
1000++.
Lourdes on July 25, 2011 at 5:08 PM
I think a Facebook post from Palin concerning this – on the O’s birthday – would be appropriate now.
either orr on July 25, 2011 at 5:17 PM
We need a pool on when Holder resigns. Oct 17, 2011
tim c on July 25, 2011 at 5:17 PM
Holder: Rule of Law for thee but not for me.
infidel4life on July 25, 2011 at 5:55 PM
Heck, anyone who has ever bought a firearm knew the FBI was involved since background insta-checks are part of the purchase process. I guess the congressmen and their staff didn’t.
amr on July 25, 2011 at 6:40 PM
What is just as disgusting is that the LSM isn’t investigating this. If this were Bush’s agencies, they’d be on it like stink on….well, you know.
TugboatPhil on July 25, 2011 at 6:50 PM
do bears live in the forest?
do fish swim in the ocean? etc., etc.
does the FBI have anything to do with this?
Too bad, I used to like the FBI!
What can a new President do to get rid of all these lifers in the FBI?
Will they all have to be brought up on charges?
They have no honor if they went along with this!
Bambi on July 25, 2011 at 7:24 PM
I keep hearing the word “Scandal”
If you study those two paragraphs, it becomes clear a Criminal Act has occurred.
That’s a bit more than a “scandal” isn’t it?
franksalterego on July 25, 2011 at 7:32 PM
Of course Holder is guilty of this crime. The real point is that Obama is too. Anyone who says otherwise is delusional or a complicit criminal.
proconstitution on July 25, 2011 at 8:52 PM
So where are the media? Except for Fox, it’s another blackout. Of course, if this had happened under a Republican…
Paul_in_NJ on July 25, 2011 at 11:23 PM
Did the FBI have any say in this matter at all? It was the ATF agents standing over the dealers’ shoulders who ordered the sales to go through regardless. Did the gun dealers recognize a fishy transaction despite the FBI database declaring these purchasers clean?
{^_^}
herself on July 26, 2011 at 4:45 AM
The new media has been on this for a while.
Mike Vanderboegh at Sipsey Street Irregulars and David Codrea at Examiner.com have been the Woodward and Bernstein of Gunwalker – and on this from day one.
I noticed last time Bob Owens at PJ was brought up, it was said he was on this story from day one. No offense to Owens, but he wasn’t on this from day one any more than the folks here at Hotair were – y’all are late to the party – but welcome aboard. Gunwalker has been going around in firearms enthusiast circles and known by some of us border denizens since it started – and it was well before even the right-wing blogosphere noticed it.
Sharyl Attkisson at CBS broke the story in the MSM before FOX did.
Note also that Gunwalker is the nickname for Fast & Furious-type operations, including Castaway, and whatever was going on in NM, and the operation in TX that let the gun that killed Jaime Zapata go to Mexico. The leftist media has been trying to say Gunrunner went on under Bush – which is true. But Gunrunner, the progenitor project, did not let guns walk. F&F, Castaway, etc., under Obama in 2009, are what let guns walk to Mexico – and the nickname for them collectively is Gunwalker (I believe coined by David Codrea).
CPL 310 on July 26, 2011 at 6:02 AM
Fast and Furious was really about shipping guns to criminals in Mexico so the Obama administration could erode the Second Amendment when these firearms were “discovered” at crime scenes. Obama will set up a phony crisis and use it to destroy gun rights by issuing regulations from the ATF and other agencies, bypassing Congress. His M.O. of using regulations to enact legislation rejected by Congress is well established. Obama is a marxist and a tin-pot dictator wannabe.
nraendowment on July 26, 2011 at 8:09 AM
Live feed for today’s hearing:
http://oversight.house.gov/
C-span, in the meantime, is broadcasting canned speeches by house members to empty seats. Mind-boggling.
novaculus on July 26, 2011 at 10:38 AM
Today’s supporting committee report:
http://oversight.house.gov/images/stories/Reports/7-26-11_Fueling_Cartel_Violence_Joint_Staff_Report_FINAL.pdf
Newell’s opening statement was boilerplate, deliverd by reading directly from copy, head down. McMann now speaking.
novaculus on July 26, 2011 at 10:45 AM
ooops, McMahon, not McMann.
Issa now questioning all witnesses about letters received by witnesses under subpoena from DOJ, instructing them on restricting their testimony.
novaculus on July 26, 2011 at 10:47 AM
Newell is doing everything in his power to obfuscate and confuse the issues. Despicable.
novaculus on July 26, 2011 at 11:11 AM
Chaffetz now rippin Newell over his inconsistent statements. Newell now sweating, literally.
novaculus on July 26, 2011 at 11:23 AM
Holder’s corrupt ass needs to personallyappear before congress, and explain his illegal scheme in detail.
Otherwise…..he should get a nice long stay at club-fed.
Tim_CA on July 26, 2011 at 12:23 PM