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Rep. Jason Chaffetz says Attorney General Holder's 'ignorance is hardly an excuse'
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Occidental we're gonna take you to -- -- yet again -- a house oversight hearing underway.
In the inspector general Michael Horowitz is the only witness he's testifying about his findings on the they'll fast and furious gun running sting a bit earlier today.
I talked to congressman -- cheapest of the oversight committee he too was questioned in -- today I just before this hearing started.
-- -- it's good morning and welcome back here to America's Newsroom.
Good morning were you satisfied -- the inspector general's report and said the DOJ.
I think the inspector general actually did a very thorough job by I have a lot of -- But there's still a lot of work to do it's hardly time for the attorney general to take victory lap -- -- remember we had 2000 AK forty sevens knowingly and willfully given to the drug cartels.
It dead Border Patrol agent hundreds of dead people in Mexico -- Mexican helicopter shot down a one point.
Hundreds of unknown number of crimes have been committed on the other end of these guns that that are still missing.
-- and yet the attorney general decides that hey I've I've been vindicated I've been vindicated now know I think it's pretty exactly and he has been in your cross hairs for for some time now.
And in this reported did not criticize Eric Holder but figured lower level officials.
Now what -- your questions today during this hearing.
Well I think one of -- key questions is when the attorney general did become aware of it in January 2011 what did he do about it.
-- one of the big problems -- the reason we're still talking about this is that in February 4.
Congress has given a letter that was totally false another letter was issued by the Department of Justice in -- that was totally false.
Finally get to the end of the year and they after withdraw that letter so what did the attorney general do want to once he didn't know about it the other thing is.
What about these fourteen people these are very senior officials -- he got that.
The head of the criminal division of the Department of Justice he says while -- made a mistake and I didn't do this.
Is there going to be any sort of accountability and responsibility within the Department of Justice.
And most importantly what are the systemic changes that we're gonna have in place.
All the small error question perhaps to -- -- resign one retired that apparently is not good enough for you that's what I hear.
Nobody's been fired to get a dead Border Patrol agent you haven't made the changes within the Department of Justice.
They still haven't provided us that the the documents that we deserve in fact the inspector general on page one of the report says.
They should actually.
Go to the courts and allow these fourteen wiretaps to be unsealed because they will indicate.
That there were red flags and people should have known that there was -- walking happened of this record talk about misguided strategies errors in judgment also talk about management failures.
Do you think this now insulates Eric Holder from responsibility.
Well it's hardly and excuse ignorance is hardly an excuse for instance.
The acting director of the ATF Ken Nelson the web -- one of the people that has now stepped and stepped aside.
He's the acting director of the ATF is there that job for roughly two years you -- many times he met with the attorney general.
-- Now what kind of claim to competency does the attorney general have when you meet with the head of the ATF -- -- well I didn't know what was going on.
Is that really well you have the attorney general -- -- you've only met with people with that acting director of the ATF one tie and no wonder he didn't know Linda -- hardly excuse we're watching the hearing was she would headlines coming in from today appreciate your time today.
Jason thank you is there thank you.
