Thursday, October 23, 2014

And the fallout from Gunwalker continues

For the first time, the Department of Justice has provided a detailed description of 15,662 Fast and Furious-related documents it is withholding from Congress, the public and the press under executive privilege exerted by President Obama.
...The number of withheld documents is so extensive, that the list describing them is 1,323 pages long.
...
The Vaughn index raises questions about why some of the material is being withheld at all. For example, many of the emails are regarding press articles, television reports and other news items. Some of them are between then-Justice Department spokesman Tracy Schmaler and White House operative Eric Schulz. In some instances, the given description reads “email forwarding news items.” Why an email between two government spokesmen that forwards public news reports would be withheld under presidential executive privilege is not fully explained.
Because of what they were telling each other, maybe?
Other withheld documents are concerning Freedom of Information (FOI) requests I made in May of 2011. It’s unclear as to why the president would exert executive privilege to keep from turning over documents discussing “which office will respond” to my FOI requests. The Justice Department never properly responded to my requests.
Same.  Makes you think there's a lot of 'Don't tell her anything!  Delay, delay, delay!  We're screwed if she finds this out!'-type things, doesn't it?

Also withheld are communications surrounding the infamous Justice Department letter to Congress in 2011 which erroneously claimed there had been no “gunwalking” in Fast and Furious or any other case. Republicans in Congress subpoenaed the materials in hopes of pinpointing who knew, how high up, that the letter to Congress contained incorrect information. The Justice Department later retracted the letter, long after overwhelming proof of the gunwalking surfaced.
Change that to 'lied their ass off and claimed' and you'd be at the truth.


Other emails being kept secret are dated May 4, 2011 from Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer to other officials in the Justice Department about a news article revealing Breuer authorized the wiretap in Fast and Furious. The justification for the wiretap included a detailed narrative on the case, implying Breuer would have known that the gunwalking tactic was being used, contrary to his and the Justice Department’s claims. It’s unclear what news article is discussed in the withheld emails, but I reported this story for CBS News on that same date.
Lies, lies, and more.  Over and over, from Holder and Obama on down through the ATF brass.  No telling what all's there.

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