“Angry former ATF chief blames subordinates for Fast and Furious,” Richard A. Serrano of the Los Angeles Times reported in his Christmas Eve gift to the administration.
The story is he didn’t know, and he’s sticking to it. And if Ken Melson didn’t know, how could Eric Holder?
Now the new acting Bureau head, B. Todd Jones dutifully carries the meme forward:
[W]eak management structure has given some field agents a license to operate independently of Washington.
Except field agents at CleanUpATF, the website dedicated to exposing and correcting agency waste, abuse, corruption and fraud, aren’t buying it:
Mr. Jones - if the above is accurately quoted and accurately attributed to you, then to borrow a line from Mr. Grassley "You may be ill-served". You may not have been here long enough to know that ATF does not operate that way. Agents need multiple layers of approval to even begin such an operation, even one that does not encourage and allow sales to known traffickers with no intention of maintaining control or observation of the firearms. If you have been advised otherwise, you may want to consider other sources for your orientation to the agency because you will have no shortage of employees testify contrary to your assertion and be able to back it up with specific examples.
Here's hoping there was a misunderstanding or miscommunication during the interview. We don't need any more classic oversight hearing moments with an employee being asked "Are you lying or are they lying?"
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