ticklethewire.com
A second Congressional House hearing on ATF’s controversial “Operation Fast and Furious” gun program — set for June 15 — will include a host of witnesses including Sen. Chuck Grassley and the mother and other relatives of slain Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.
The hearing, conducted by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will examine the consequences of the operation, which include allegations that guns purchased in the sting ended up being used to kill agent Terry.
“The reckless decisions of ATF and Justice Department officials in Operation Fast and Furious have devastated lives and put fear into communities on both sides of the border,” said Committee Chairman Darrell Issa in statement. “By exploring this Justice Department sanctioned program, we can better understand the flawed process surrounding the genesis and implementation of an operation that put guns into the hands of criminals.”
The operation encouraged Arizona gun dealers to sell to straw purchasers, all in the hopes of tracing the guns to the Mexican cartels.
The first hearing titled “Obstruction of Justice: Does the Justice Department Have to Respond to a Lawfully Issued and Valid Congressional Subpoena?” is set for Monday, June 13th.
The second hearing witnesses are as follows:
Panel 1
· Senator Charles Grassley, Ranking Member, U.S. Senate, Committee on the Judiciary
Panel 2
- · Ms. Josephine Terry, Mother of the Late Border Agent Brian Terry
- · Ms. Michelle Terry Balogh, Sister of the Late Border Agent Brian Terry
- · Mr. Robert Heyer, Cousin of the Late Border Agent Brian Terry
- · Special Agent Olindo James Casa, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Phoenix Field Division
- · Special Agent Peter Forcelli, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Phoenix Field Division
- · Special Agent John Dodson, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Phoenix Field Division
Panel 3
· Mr. Ronald Weich, Assistant Attorney General, United States Department of Justice
