Mr. Melson must have had the same thought because he has decided not to testify. Moreover, no one from either ATF or the Justice Department are on the new list of witnesses.
Isn't that a surprise?
Sharyl Attkisson of CBS News contacted the Subcommittee for more information on why Melson will not be testifying.
We contacted the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to ask why Melson is no longer scheduled to appear. They referred us to the office of Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) who chairs the subcommittee holding the hearing. A press spokeswoman at the senator's office said it was Melson's decision not to testify, and that the subcommittee doesn't have jurisdiction over ATF.It is also speculated that one of the main reasons for the delay in confirmation hearings for Andrew Traver is the fallout from Operation Fast and Furious.
Later, a spokesman told us in an email, "The Subcommittee had invited, but not confirmed, Mr. Melson as well as other officials from ATF to testify at the hearing this week. In the end, ATF declined to send a representative."
"You want me to get in front of these people and answer questions? You KNOW what they'll ask about!"
1 comment:
"the subcommittee doesn't have jurisdiction over ATF"
WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT just doesn't express my opinion adequately.
The Congress has oversight over these governmental entities, delegated to the committee and thence to the subcommittee, and they don't have jurisdiction over the BATF? What sleight of hand delegation was that, then?
You have the power to subpoena and question witnesses in this matter, but not witnesses from the BATF, the organization that set the whole criminal mess into motion.
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