By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com A former Pima Superior Court judge who once had some pointed words about Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in a court ruling, has been nominated by President Obama to take over the U.S. Attorney post in Phoenix, the Phoenix New Times reports. Judge John Leonardo once wrote in a ruling that…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com The number two person at ATF says a key mistake in the controversial Operation Fast and Furious was that “a narcotics based strategy was applied to a firearms trafficking investigation.” Tom Brandon, who stepped in last October as ATF’s deputy director as part of an effort to clean house after…
By Danny Fenster ticklethewire.com It appears that members of Congress have found a new ATF operation to scrutinize. But unlike Fast and Furious, the operation–code-named White Gun–has been defended by the agency as a “well-managed investigation” which resulted in the arrest and conviction of three individuals, reports LA Times. Still, critics are skeptical. “Apparently guns got…
By Danny Fenster and Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com Now comes more shakeups at ATF over the controversial program Fast and Furious. ATF confirmed Thursday that three officials have been detailed to headquarters in non-operational positions pending the outcome of an Inspector General report into the Fast and Furious program, which encouraged Arizona gun dealers to sell…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com On the one year anniversary of the murder of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry, the family issued a statement that included a sharp rebuke of ATF and the Justice Department. “Brian’s death has been extremely difficult to accept. As most know, we had to learn from the news media that…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com Thomas E. Brandon, the straight-shooting, well respected and extremely able veteran of ATF, who was sent around the country this year to try and mend some of the agencies pressing problems, has been named ticklethewire.com’s Fed Of The Year for 2011. Brandon, an ex-Marine who is currently ATF’s number two person…
Anthony Macisco has over 30 years of extensive leadership and management experience for agencies in the Departments of the Treasury (USSS Executive Protective Service and US Customs-Investigations) and Homeland Security (Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Investigations), in investigations and intelligence fields, in both a covert and overt capacity. Tony is currently a partner in The Densus Group, an…
By Allan Lengel and Danny Fenster ticklethewire.com Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)is attacking Atty. Gen. Eric Holder Jr. once again, this time for a DEA operation that allowed money to flow to the Mexican drug cartels. In a press release issued Monday, Issa announced that he was investigating the matter, which was highlighted in a front…
