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General Eric Holder questioned on botched sting operation set up to track illegal guns purchases from U.S. to Mexico
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Hi everyone I'm Laura Ingraham in tonight for Bill O'Reilly thanks for watching us let's get right to the top story.
Fireworks today on Capitol Hill as attorney general Eric Holder was once again pummeled with questions by members of the House Judiciary Committee.
Over the Justice Department's now infamous fast and furious operation.
What was intended to be a sting operation set up to track illegal gun purchases from the United States to Mexico.
Led to the thousands of firearms being transported into Mexico and then lost with -- least one killing a US agent named Brian Terry.
Now holder story about his own role in the operation has changed over time and today things got even murkier.
Have.
You and your attorneys produced internally.
The materials responsive.
To the subpoenas.
We believe that we have.
Funded because he now mr.
attorney general you're not a good witness a good witness answers a question -- let's go back again -- we produced 7600.
V look I don't wanna hear about the 7600.
-- I would day -- -- lady is out of order with the -- at least -- parliament try and -- excuse me mr.
chairman I would day to allow the attorney general to be able to -- These and you -- Is -- -- mr.
attorney general you've not produced prologue.
Of materials withheld even though our investigators have -- -- it.
I know that who -- done -- -- about that I know that -- OK I'm sure you didn't so let's move on with all due respect to.
-- -- -- He says his hostility between us I don't feel that you know I understand he's asking questions and try to respond as best I can't -- -- feel hostile little pump pretty -- animal can't.
Questions is the country okay well when pressed my congressman Randy Forbes.
Holder admitted that the White House has assisted in the crafting of the department of justice's response to congress.
On fast and various other talking to one another but how to best respond.
Joining us now from Washington is Katie pat let's she's the author of the book.
Fast and furious Barack Obama's bloodiest scandal and the shameless cover up and John -- I former special counsel for the House Judiciary Committee.
Okay both of you this was pretty hot on Capitol Hill and John that -- were up there on the on the -- not so long ago and this was the eight appearance.
By Eric Holder on the fast and furious scandal.
Your reaction to the clip you just heard and then he revelation that the White House is working with the Justice Department to crack the response and congress well.
You know poor Workman blames his tools and I'm afraid that chairman.
Didn't write a very good subpoenaed to begin with after receive 7600 document so it's it's very hard for -- to -- what he didn't get.
When he's asking for two years of memos to the attorney general for instance.
So I thought he lost control I thought was a little bit the I hate to say it this way but -- sort of like a hack politician.
Questioning an experienced trial attorney in the two of them weren't different spheres.
And one other member of congress had to try to say to the chairman look.
This is not the way you do business as for the White House crafting a message it was a national question about you know.
Guns being lost.
On controls going to drug -- -- Problem at the White House helping them is that holder could not answer.
Simple questions about what the White House knew and whether anyone at justice I -- had had conversations about the actual.
Actual operation of fasting period so we don't know whether they've talked but the White House is helping craft the message -- -- -- -- -- credit -- is brought.
We both have they don't ask the questions that make statements and so for instance if you ask the question have you given us information on -- -- -- as opposed to.
Have you answered my subpoenas in December for 22 areas which are poorly written I not ensure a lawyer wrote them.
Then you would know something.
The the problem with this entire investigation has been amateurism.
We have people at posh apartment while I'm okay -- let's get an arcade well a dead agent doesn't mean they're any good added like we haven't rifles that were bought in the United States under the watch of the Justice Department that ended up killing Bryan Terry found -- -- -- pretty pretty and not well -- the wrong.
Yeah don't know I as a kind of anything in the -- -- and that's just generically.
My my counterpart.
Says that that the oversight committee and chairman -- and particular are not asking the right questions I don't know why is -- about answering the question of what did you know and when did you know what -- -- doesn't department and the senior level.
We knew what they knew about fast and furious and went and the hearing today on Capitol Hill which I attended.
Came after this week congress and I says sent a letter sent to attorney general Eric Holder saying look.
I've seen six wiretap applications.
Each with an attachment from your assistant attorney general.
Lanny brewer with approval of those and anyone who knows how about the wiretap process knows that when you submit an application or wiretap you submit.
About the case.
-- -- assistant attorney general Lanny you're admitted that he knew about them -- tactics.
After he submitted a false letter to congress about denying the tactics in the first place.
And saying this is a localized program today -- -- nothing but obfuscate and try and -- back to the local level and say.
I don't know anything I don't read my memos and my senior officials don't read -- either.
Well there's an internal email that they discussed John at one point this is getting into the actual evidence or guard documents and it would be an and one of the internal emails.
It was by this guy.
James trustee and and they were inside the Justice Department.
They referred to -- and a half.
And me in the email this is back in an op and the fall of twenty sound.
And they were saying well it's not it's not a big surprise that a bunch of US guns were being used in Mexico so I'm not sure how much grief we're going to get for gun walking.
Eric Holder when asked about this said that he that SN half did not refer to fast and furious correct me if I'm complicated because you -- there and I wasn't.
But does that not stretch the bounds of of -- thinking who actually -- doesn't change.
I I agree it does does -- remain and it just doesn't AMR I dragon I say that any officials of the justice Robert I had OK we'll see I'm the attorney general as part of the problem here we don't have the objective of hearing Cain got.
Now this doesn't email that was from the deputy assistant attorney general Jason Weinstein discussing fast and furious not only did it say -- and -- -- out.
It said the words fast and furious here -- they should wrote assistant attorney general Lanny -- Into the press side of things my Ngo in October of 2010.
There -- six wiretaps and may June July.
August and September of 2010.
With -- -- brewers approval on them -- for him to say that and for attorney general Eric Holder to -- his assistant attorneys general.
Didn't know about -- blocking tactics up to that point is a lie.
Well I you know I don't know.
It's alive the question should be put the mister brewer I mean you and I have experience -- -- we asked the principle you mister brewer.
You did you receive this email what to do.
John what -- I -- -- -- going like this you're Smart guy what what I know about your smartly -- but knowing knowing what I know about you if you are running the Justice Department with your attorney general.
In this happened.
Under your watch to start in the fall 2000 and and in 2009 but under your watch.
This happened I would be livid I would find out who authorizes fighter was -- was -- somewhere else so.
Whether or whether -- -- knew anything -- -- everything right away or not okay let's set that aside.
By now he should know something right there that I didn't charge him I was.
The attorney general I -- I would have now whether I saw them or not I would have reviewed all the applications.
All the reports and I would -- everybody on the carpet my office.
And I agree with you that appearing on the hill without doing that is a way to avoid -- here on the hell out doing -- to avoid knowing.
It's playing out and I and and that's that's that's not a that's not acceptable I don't play -- -- O'Reilly Factor.
