Those Responsible for Operation Fast & Furious Should be Fired, not Re-Assigned
We knew that Operation Fast & Furious was a botched gun-running program from the very start. But, a report released today by the House Oversight Committee underscores the real problem here: this was not just a local operation at the Mexican border. It reached all the way to Washington, and involved top officials with the Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
In fact, this report finally names those individuals responsible for this program that put thousands of U.S. guns into the hands of Mexican drug cartels - guns used to murder many people including U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry. And we have now have learned from this report that the one of the other victims of this gun-running program was Mario Gonzalez, the brother of then-Mexican prosecutor Patricia Gonzalez.
Of the five individuals named in the report, four of the five were transferred to other areas and departments and continue to be paid by the taxpayers. It's difficult to believe, but one of the individuals - Acting Director Kenneth Melson - has actually been reassigned to the Justice Department where he is doing legal work.
Absolutely absurd. As I told Megyn Kelly on FOX News today, these officials shouldn't be reassigned, they need to be fired.
The report is very clear: "From the outset, the case was marred by missteps, poor judgments, and an inherently reckless strategy," the report states. "Strong leadership is needed at ATF to overcome the deep scars left by Operation Fast and Furious. Greater accountability within ATF would underscore that ineffective supervision and recklessness both have consequences."
The more we find out about Operation Fast & Furious, the worse it gets. Two additional reports will be coming out soon focusing on the Justice Department's role in all of this, and a look at the cover-up. More to come.