AG Holder Has Never Talked To Fast and Furious Victims' Families

Yesterday, Attorney General Eric Holder told a Senate Judiciary Committee under oath he became aware of Operation Fast and Furious in February, 2011 "from press reports and others that I received from Senator Grassley."

During a May 3 hearing Congressman Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight Committee and Rep. Jason Chaffetz asked Holder when he first learned about Fast and Furious. He replied "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."

At the November 8 hearing Democratic Chairman Patrick Leahy ran interference asking the Attorney General about his inconsistent statements, "I did say a 'few weeks,'...I probably could've said 'a couple of months.' I didn't think the term I said, 'few weeks,' was inaccurate based on what happened." 

"Few weeks" "few months" "I probably could've said?" Does Holder, the top law enforcement official in the country, get to make it up as he goes along? After Holder's testimony on Tuesday several things became clear.

Number one. Holder doesn't give a damn about the dead or the families of the dead. The attorney general refused to man up and issue an apology to the grief-stricken relatives of the victims. Senator John Cornyn asked the question.

Have you apologized to the family of Brian Terry?

I have not apologized. But I certainly regret what happened.

Have you even talked to them (the family)?

I have not.

Number two. Something he does care about is the press he's been receiving. Holder stated that he wanted to clear up "some of the inaccurate and irresponsible accusations."

I am determined to ensure that our shared concerns about Operation Fast and Furious lead to more than headline-grabbing Washington 'gotcha' games and cynical political point scoring.

Some of the overheated rhetoric might lead you to believe that this local, Arizona-based operation was somehow the cause of the epidemic of gun violence in Mexico.

"Headline-grabbing Washington gotcha games?" People are dead, Mr. Holder, under your watch. Get used to the headlines because any true American will not back off until justice is served. Not one government official linked to Fast and Furious tragedy has been charged with a crime.

Holder's Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer admitted he was aware of the tactics used in Fast and Furious before the program was stopped, yet Holder stood by Breuer stating he saw no reason to ask for his resignation. Translation: No one except hard-working, truth-seeking journalists will be held accountable.

Number three. Holder asked congressional leaders to work with him securing more "resources" to "stop the flow of illegal guns to Mexico." $10 million of stimulus monies went to Project Gunrunner back in 2009. What ensued was mass murder and the attorney general wants more. Audacity? Malice? Above the law? Who are these people?

Like each of you, I want to know why and how firearms that should have been under surveillance could wind up in the hands of Mexican drug cartels.

But beyond identifying where errors occurred and ensuring that they never occur again, we must be careful not to lose sight of the critical problem that this flawed investigation has highlighted: We are losing the battle to stop the flow of illegal guns to Mexico.

One critical first step should be for congressional leaders to work with us to provide ATF with the resources and statutory tools it needs to be effective.

Holder called Fast and Furious a "flawed" operation "that never should have happened." The gun walking melee resulted in the murders of many people; it was not a "sting" or "botched" or "flawed." It was criminal on many levels. Now that we know incompetent, corrupt officials implemented a program "that never should have happened" they must be held accountable.

Read more M. Catharine Evans at Potter Williams Report