Holder Continues to Dance Around “Fast and Furious” Questions

The casting directors for “Dancing with the Stars” may wish to contact U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for an audition because, clearly, Holder can dance.
During yet another hearing this week, Holder testified before the House Judiciary Committee about his personal role–and the roles of senior Justice Department officials–in the disastrous “Fast and Furious” gun-walking operation, which resulted in the murder of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.

During testimony, Holder conceded that “inappropriate tactics” were used in “Fast and Furious,” but continually evaded questions about who in the Justice Department approved the infamous operation.
According to a Daily Caller article, Holder dodged a direct question by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, about who was the highest?ranking official in the administration with knowledge of the tactics being used in “Fast and Furious.”
“Mr. Attorney General, who is the highest ranking official in this administration that knew that these tactics were being used?”  Smith asked of Holder.  “And I’m talking about, knew the tactics were being used before the death of Agent Brian Terry on December 15, 2010.”
In response, Holder attempted to answer a question that hadn’t even been asked. “Well we know that the operation began in the field offices in Arizona,” Holder said. “Both in the US Attorney’s office and in the ATF office there.”
Chairman Smith then cut Holder off and asked his question again: “To your knowledge, who was the highest-ranking official in the administration who knew about the tactics?”
And again Holder danced. “At this point I can say that it started in Arizona, and I’m not at all certain who beyond that can be said to have been involved with regard to the use–now there was knowledge of it, but the use of the tactics,” he responded again.
Smith rephrased his question once again, asking: “No one other than the ATF officials in Arizona, you’re saying, knew about the tactics used in Operation Fast and Furious before December 15, 2010, is that right?”
Holder bobbed and weaved yet again, saying “I think that in terms in knowledge of the tactics as opposed to the operation itself, I don’t think that anyone in Washington knew about those tactics until the beginning of the year.”
Holder went on to testify, again, that he didn’t “know the specific date” he first learned of “gunwalking” in “Fast and Furious,” but it should be noted that Holder has “edited” his official response to that question at least three times in the past.
In a press release regarding the hearings and Holder’s testimony, Chairman Smith said, “For the past three and half years, this Administration has engaged in a pattern of obstructionism, unaccountability, and partisanship. The Administration’s actions aren’t just wrong–they are arrogant, undemocratic, and an insult to the rule of law. The American people should have confidence that the Department of Justice fairly enforces laws. That confidence is lacking today.”
And after questioning Holder, Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) said in a statement, “Once again, Attorney General Holder tossed away an opportunity to cooperate with the Congressional investigation into the tragic ‘Operation Fast and Furious’.  Once again, he did not come clean with the American people about who authorized the operation; who knew about the operation; or when officials at the Justice Department became aware of the operation.”
NRA continues its call for Attorney General Holder to resign over his Justice Department’s unwillingness to fully account for this disastrous operation.
To listen to an NRA News interview of NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox discussing Holder’s “Fast and Furious” testimony, please click here.