Those facts apparently were known by the FBI and DEA as early as 2009 but not passed on to key people in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which went on to spent millions of dollars and thousands of man hours trying to identify that informant and others gun traffickers like him through the controversial Operation Fast and Furious.

The informant first received at least $3,500 in official law enforcement funds as payment for illegal narcotics.

Reader Comments

And the FBI or DEA are the alternatives offered up for what to do with the ATF? HA! At least Rep. Issa says he's getting a lot of info from whistleblowers. Maybe there are still some 'real' Americans in government after all?

I like that he says 'the real question is finding out where the processes went wrong'. I think it's a good way to re-assure the guilty that they aren't a target and that they should quit the stonewalling. How else will we find out who they are? Once we know, we can do something about them, but we have to find them first.

Comment by: david b | October 6, 2011

I guess there just wasn't enough real and genuine crime to prevent or fight, so our "government" creates not just crime but allegedly the kind they "think" they can handle. I have to wonder just how much "crime" is created by our government agencies in order to create the appearances that they are on top of both "it" and their game? I appalud the 'whistleblowers' in this case. I abhor the efforts to 'dirty' them up, demote them, transfer them into obscurity, or push them out. This case is a criminal effort to create so called "facts" to support an anti-gun agenda. Obama, Holder & others want to deny us our constitutional right to keep & bear arms, by the way we paid our money and take payday loans no credit check in order to get it. They will call what they do reasonable & fair. In fact, its creeping totalitarianism. These people are dangerous because they skirt the constitution or ignore it altogether. The demands for documents have met resistance. I say keep forcing info out with the objective of revealing Obama as the guy who concocted & conducted all of this. Lets make sure our guns are not infringed on in any way! One day we may need them.

Comment by: MeganD | October 13, 2011

Adding to MeganD's comment about one day needing our guns... I suspect that if there weren't some 80 million of us WITH guns already, we'd have needed them long ago. The deterrent effect is pretty strong, and it's the reason there are so many folks who want to take them away.

Comment by: david b | October 13, 2011