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Project Gunwalker: Napolitano Denies Knowledge
First Senate hearing -- Reid wouldn't schedule itHomeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told senators for the first time Tuesday that she had no knowledge of a botched federal gun-tracking program while it was ongoing. In testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Napolitano said she was first made aware of the Fast and Furious operation after U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed in the line of duty. Let me be very clear for the record, you were unfamiliar with Operation Fast and Furious while the operation was under way?" asked Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). "That is accurate," Napolitano replied. Napolitano said she first found out about the operation after Terry's killing and that she is declining to comment on it further until the Department of Justice inspector general's office completes its independent review of the operation. Attorney General Eric Holder ordered the IG report earlier this year. "First of all, we wanted to make sure that the investigation into the cause of the death and prosecution was pursued vigorously," she said. "And that was being done. I did meet with the FBI agent-in-charge in Arizona at the time. At the time I was told that DOJ was referring the entire matter to the inspector general, so we have reserved judgment until that report has come about." McCain asked Napolitano to supply the committee with the specific date when she found out that guns sold under the operation were found at the scene of Terry's killing. McCain has long butted heads with Napolitano, who is the former governor of Arizona, but he is a late-comer to criticism of the administration regarding Fast and Furious. The lead congressional investigators have been Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Posted by: Sherry 2011-09-13 |
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