The parents of murdered border agent Brian Terry accuse Attorney General Eric Holder and other Justice Department officials of hiding important information concerning the botched anti-gunrunning operation Fast and Furious.
The “Fast and Furious” operation was aimed at tracking bigger traffickers by letting illicit guns enter Mexico. Many of these guns simply disappeared in the country, two of them later found in December 2010 at the crime scene where Terry was killed. President Obama has offered executive privilege to keep away from public view many of the documents about the operation.
Attorney General Eric Holder could be hold in contempt of Congress for owning documents related to the operation which he refused to hand over. The charges could be suspended if he agrees to turn over more emails and memos about the Fast and Furious operation. Although Holder declared that he only found out about Fast and Furious after Terry’s death, GOP lawmakers have suggested top officials at the Justice Department had more information about the operation than they have said.
Terry’s parents expressed their disappointment concerning the Obama administration which prevents them from knowing the whole story about their son’s death.
“They’re lying. … They’re passing the buck,” said Kent Terry. “I just know that they’re hiding something big. Something happened out there.”
The decision taken by President Obama
Was to assert executive privilege over Operation Fast and Furious documents delayed proceedings against Attorney General Eric Holder, and also arouse suspicion and questions about the power of the presidency. GOP lawmakers consider this action not appropriate and Republicans suggested that the White House had tipped its hand by asserting privilege over the documents in question.
Issa, the committee chairman who has led the charge in the House for answers about Fast and Furious, declared that Holder is willing to offer some of the documents in response to House Republicans’ subpoena. Issa also requested some documents on the controversial operation and also information on who wrote the now-retracted letter from Feb. 4th, 2011, in which the department declared that the US Government did not knowingly help smuggle guns to Mexico.
