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| Project Gunwalker: Congress to FBI: clarify evidence in Brian Terry murder |
| 2011-10-21 |
| Congressional investigators probing the botched federal gun-trafficking program known as Fast and Furious are now setting their sights on the FBI. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, sent a letter Thursday to FBI Director Robert Mueller demanding answers about the guns found at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. In the letter, the lawmakers ask 16 detailed questions about the number of weapons discovered after Terry's death. While the Justice Department has maintained that only two guns were found, the Republican lawmakers say there are inconsistencies in documents including the search warrant and the unsealed indictment. "Out of deference to the FBI's ongoing criminal inquiry, we have delayed asking the Bureau direct questions about the case for nearly 10 months," they wrote. "However, Congress has a right and a duty to conduct oversight of federal law enforcement operations. "Agencies like the FBI can wield tremendous power and influence over individual citizens. With that power and influence comes responsibility, and nothing exempts the Bureau from accountability to Congress as well as to the courts." They asked Mueller whether the FBI believes a third weapon killed Terry, since ballistic reports on the two Fast and Furious guns were inconclusive. They also asked the total number of suspects that Terry's unit encountered in the desert, and how many of them are still at large. So far, only one man, Manuel Osorio-Arellanes, has been charged with Terry's murder. According to documents, Osorio- Arellanes told investigators that he was travelling with four other armed individuals. The letter said that it appears that the men who shot Terry may have been armed with five rifles. The lawmakers also referred to statements made to Terry's mother at his funeral that three weapons were recovered at the scene. Along with responses to their questions, the letter also asks for all documents and communications between nine FBI officials relating to Operation Fast and Furious. They set a deadline of November 2 for the information. In response, the FBI said Mueller is out of town, and it's unclear if he has seen the letter. On Monday, the Justice Department responded to Issa's accusations about a possible third gun saying, "The FBI has made clear that reports of a third gun recovered from the perpetrators at the scene of Agent Terry's murder are false." They also maintain that Issa's staff was previously informed of this. "Unfortunately, this most recent false accusation not only maligns the dedicated agents investigating the murder of Agent Terry, it mischaracterizes evidence in an ongoing case, the Justice Department said in its statement. The next hearing, will be a joint one between the House Oversight subcommittee and the House Judiciary Committee, sometime in November. Invite the DoJ to clarify and explain. In detail. That would be fun... |
| Posted by:Sherry |