Posted on 08/30/2011 11:41:23 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
The head of the ATF has been removed after months of speculation about his role in a botched gun-tracking operation that could have contributed to the death of a Border Patrol agent.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Tuesday that acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kenneth Melson was being replaced. Melson is being transferred to the Office of Legal Policy, where he will be a senior adviser.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Todd Jones will take over as acting ATF director, according to the Department of Justice.
Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, called for Melson’s resignation in June; two weeks later he backed away from those demands when Melson came to Capitol Hill during the July 4 holiday with his own personal lawyer to conduct a transcribed interview with Issa and Grassley’s staff.
Still, the reassignment represents the first major investigative victory for Issa, who said he would continue to probe Justice and its botched gun-tracking operation.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Monty Python
The Holy Grail
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvIKL_pTZFE
"I also remain very concerned by Acting Director Melson's statement that the Department of Justice is managing its response in a manner intended to protect its political appointees. Senator Grassley and I will continue to press the Department of Justice for answers in order to ensure that a reckless effort like Fast and Furious does not take place again."
Fired but still working there —gosh I wonder if he’ll be making WAY MORE MONEY? Probably will be —> “shut up money”
Oh, and apparently the admin knew that a lot more guns than F&F were pouring to the narcos from muzzies who wanted access to their smuggling routes in/out of the USA.
*Headline Only*
Removed? More like cutting a cancer out and transplanting elsewhere in the body.
Kicked upstairs. They wanted to make sure he wouldn’t talk.
".. WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Attorney in Arizona are resigning following investigations into a flawed law enforcement operation aimed at major gun-trafficking networks on the Southwest border. The Justice Department announced the resignations Tuesday. U.S. Attorney in Minnesota, B. Todd Jones, will replace Kenneth Melson as ATF's acting director. No replacement was immediately announced for the U.S. Attorney in Arizona, Dennis Burke, whose office was deeply involved in the ATF investigation called Operation Fast and Furious which focused on several Phoenix area gun shops. .."
If this is true that Melson resigned, rather than being transferred, this will allow him to give complete and accurate testimony to the House Committee with no repercussions! Sounds to me like it is possible for the torpedos this guy shoots will sink the O ship before a pubbie can shoot him out of the water next year!!!!!
The suspect was tackled at the scene by two bystanders! The incident was filmed! How hard was it to figure out who did it?
Whoop D friggin doooo.
Obama and Holder threw the ATF stooge under the bus. Now they along with the media will wipe their murderous hands of the blood of the dead killed by the guns ATF sold to the Mexican gangs. Obama now will be able to go on more vacations and golf without having this nuisance of innocent murdered people bothering his golf swing.... Sarc..
Boy what a surprise this is, to protect eric, my people, holder and mac, the crybaby liar, daddy they seteled on this guy to be the latest under the bus fodder.
Nobody is safe from the current POTUS including his children and his wife.
“If this is true that Melson resigned, rather than being transferred, this will allow him to give complete and accurate testimony ...”
Nope.
Not ‘resigned’ but ‘reassigned’, which means we will still pay Melson’s salary and benefits, but now he will be shielded by Obama and Holder from giving up anyone above him.
Actual headline:
ATF head Kenneth Melson reassigned amid gun-trafficking probe.
“Kenneth E. Melson, acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, will become a senior adviser on forensic science in the department’s Office of Legal Policy.”
(Which actually means Melson will be counting paper clips in the ATF law office and memorizing his script prepared by the law office for him in case he is further questioned).
in order to ensure that a reckless effort like Fast and Furious does not take place again and that Barrack (Barry) Hussein Obama is exposed as the one behind this criminal activity."
That is very Muslim of Obama.
********************************************
An assistant U.S. Attorney in Phoenix, Emory Hurley, who helped oversee “Fast and Furious,” is being transferred out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s criminal division and into the civil division. That means he will not be involved in criminal cases.
The multiple moves amounted to an extraordinary shake-up for a Justice Department that has been under fire for the gun-trafficking probe, which critics consider ATF’s biggest debacle since the deadly 1993 confrontation in Waco, Tex. ATF is part of Justice.
Wasn’t he the one who spilled the beans, or am I confusing him with someone else?
I believe he testified and said that stuff was being handled by the Justice Dept....more to come...
Memo to Ken Melson:
Ken I hope you understand your new office under the stairs in the basement of the DOJ is for your own protection.
Just keep out of sight, keep your mouth shut, and you will live to collect your Federal pension.
Keep the faith, baby.
Your friend for life, Eric H.
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