WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder clashed Thursday with congressional Republicans seeking more information about a flawed gun-trafficking investigation in Arizona.
Lawmakers at a House Judiciary Committee hearing asked Holder what he knew in advance of public disclosure of a so-called gun-walking tactic in early 2011. As part of Operation Fast and Furious, agents were told to forgo immediate arrests of suspected straw purchasers of guns and instead try to track the guns to higher-ups in smuggling rings. Such a tactic is normally barred under Justice Department policy.
Agents lost track of hundreds of guns that flowed south to Mexico, where many were recovered at crime scenes. Two such guns were found in the U.S. at the scene of the killing of border agent Brian Terry.
Holder told the committee that he became aware of the gun-walking tactic at the same time as the public and that he also found out “about the same time” that guns at the scene of Terry’s death were part of Operation Fast and Furious.
Holder has faced off repeatedly with Republicans in recent months over his handling of the aborted firearms investigation. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has prepared a contempt citation against Holder but not voted on it yet, applying pressure for more documents on Operation Fast and Furious.
Holder said the Justice Department has cooperated fully with Congress and turned over 7,600 pages of material on the operation.
“Look, I don’t want to hear about the 7,600,” snapped Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. He said wiretap applications in Fast and Furious indicate key figures at Justice were responsible for use of the gun-walking tactic.
