Patterico's Pontifications

3/31/2011

ATF Defies Issa Request for Gunrunner Documents; Next Step: Subpoenas

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 4:53 pm



Last night I linked this letter from Darrell Issa to the Acting Director of BATFE, demanding the production of documents regarding Project Gunrunner. The deadline was last night, and I said:

Assuming that BATFE has given Issa the finger — as I very much expect they have — the next logical step is issuing subpoenas.

Always trust content from Patterico.

Kenneth E. Melson, acting director of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has “blown past” yesterday’s deadline for the delivery of key documents relating to the Project Gunrunner inquiry that was launched recently by Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

According to committee spokesman Seamus Kraft, there was no response from Melson, who has also been dodging a separate inquiry by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. National Gun Rights Examiner David Codrea is also reporting this new development here..


Above: Patterico

It looks like they’re running scared:

As this column reported yesterday, Melson’s name was also withdrawn from a roster of officials, including former Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, now the Obama administration’s Drug czar, before a subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chaired by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ). That hearing, which began this morning at 10 a.m., concerns “counternarcotics and citizen security” in this country.

Sources familiar with the Issa inquiry indicated that because Melson was not forthcoming with documents requested by Issa in a March 16 letter obtained by CBS News, further steps may be taken.

Further steps? What might those be? Carnac already told you: subpoenas.

The real question is, what will be Obama’s response? I’m thinking something like this:

Or this:

Or this:

One thing is for sure: issuing subpoenas ought to get this guy’s attention.

We don’t yet know how far up the ladder the decision to implement Operation Gunrunner went. But if Obama defies the subpoenas that are sure to issue soon, we’ll all know that the decision to cover it up went straight to the top.

17 Responses to “ATF Defies Issa Request for Gunrunner Documents; Next Step: Subpoenas”

  1. Combine ATF arrogance, bullying and incompetence with Obama administration arrogance, bullying and incompetence and this is what you get.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  2. If they ignore both the requests and the subpoenas you simply defund the entire department. For that matter Justice too as they seem bound to ignore the inquest into the new black panther party scandal.
    The Won cannot be allowed to continue running a rogue regime and thumb his nose at two thirds of the government (legislative and Judicial for the folks in Rio Linda).

    MaaddMaaxx (206a3d)

  3. I hope Issa has a subpoena field day.

    DRJ (fdd243)

  4. So we’ll know [it] went straight to the top. Short of impeachment, t’aint nuttin kin be dun, and there is no chance of impeachment given today’s senate.
    Defunding sounds good, but there are three ways around that:

    a) Obama orders funding via executive order
    No such animal, you say. Hasn’t stopped Obama so far.

    b) DOJ finds a judge to order Treasury to continue funding. Treasury, for some reason, doesn’t object, and the DOJ certainly does not appeal the order. By the time the Supremes deal with it, the next election will be upon us.

    c) Obama starts vetoing everything sent his way, including military, to force the House to capitulate.

    great unknown (261470)

  5. Good point about the cover up, Patterico.

    This is a sad subject because our government may have contributed to deaths and violence. Nevertheless, it is satisfying to see the beginnings of justice. I hope the investigators don’t lose the will to follow through.

    DRJ (fdd243)

  6. It’s hard to see the political downside of defunding the ATF. I agree with great unknown that Obama wouldn’t let that stop him, but then the voters get to decide how to react.

    As with the debt crisis, the GOP should offer the voters a stark choice between this corrupt path and something better. I don’t think they have to go to much of an extreme to do that.

    If the ATF is flouting congressional oversight, it’s a rogue operation that needs to be shut down as a warning to the rest of the government.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  7. Note that Obama is also flouting the War Powers Act; have you noticed the deafening reaction?

    great unknown (261470)

  8. But the Administration is already flouting the rest of the government, Dustin, so why shouldn’t the ATF? After all, look at the way the Administration whitewashed the Pigford and the New Black Panther cases; disregarded rulings by federal district judges on ObamaCare and the BP moratorium; and ignored the Ft Hood/Hasan subpoenas. Not to mention subverting bankruptcy law in the GM and Chrysler cases. What’s one more lawless act compared to all that?

    DRJ (fdd243)

  9. So you actually think Obama would respond to a subpoena from congress? I don’t.

    kansas (1fc602)

  10. This admin does seem to have an active contempt for following the f@cking rules.

    JD (318f81)

  11. What’s one more lawless act compared to all that?

    Yeah, when you list it all out, from that first IG firing all the way to the unilateral ‘kinetic action’, it’s clear Obama’s administration is above the law.

    I’m glad Issa is winding up for calling them out. This is the real danger of a one party government. I think many Americans have actually accepted most of your long list of unacceptable things.

    Impeachment would be justified. In fact, I’m starting to worry that without an impeachment we are establishing a new standard for the executive. Obama’s administration will absolutely play the game Kansas suggests. If they think they can get away with ignoring a subpoena, they will. If they think the GOP will hesitate to press a constitutional crisis Obama’s on the wrong side of, they will create that crisis.

    I don’t want to become like those angry BDS sufferers who see their administration as relentlessly awful. And I realize I’ve got more facts on my side than ‘they’ had on theirs.

    It’s very hard not to be jaded by what’s become of our country.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  12. “My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.”–Obambi

    He makes such clever little jokes.

    Dave Surls (ac8a14)

  13. I agree, Dustin. I am already become as complacent as the sheeple in this country. I need something visceral to jolt me out of it. So many lines have been crossed without a correction (to borrow a financial term) and I see no earthly champion to appoint to my cause.

    Felipe (d37996)

  14. He makes such clever little jokes.

    LOL, yes, it’s pretty amusing to reread what he used to say with the idea he is being ironic. He is unprecedentedly transparent about his lawlessness.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  15. After all, look at the way the Administration whitewashed the Pigford and the New Black Panther cases; …

    On a side note, the Administration has a helping hand in their whitewashing with outlets like Media Matters, amongst others. Today they have a column entitled Megyn Kelley’s Favorite Scandal Just Fell Apart re the New Black Panther case. She was castigated for her obsession with it, and how unbelievable it is she hasn’t yet reported on the dismissal of the case because it’s clearly been – according to MM anyway – debunked.

    Of course they miss the irony that it was essentially the DOJ that cleared the DOJ of wrongdoing…

    We’ll see if this scandal sticks.

    Dana (9f3823)

  16. I am looking forward to this.

    Arizona Bob (911aa5)

  17. ‘Here’s a perfect storm. The Monitor reports a new law enforcement bulletin warns that Mexican drug cartels are plotting to kill U.S. federal agents and Texas Rangers patrolling the border.’

    ‘Congressman Michael McCaul references this bulletin on his House web site:’

    ‘“March 2011 – A Law Enforcement Bulletin warned that cartels were overheard plotting to kill ICE agents and Texas Rangers guarding the border using AK-47s by shooting at them from across the border.”’

    http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/03/31/mexican-border-not-secure-cartels-threaten-to-kill-u-s-law-enforcement/

    Wonder where the AKs came from?

    Your tax dollar at work?

    Dave Surls (ac8a14)


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