By Dave Workman | Senior Editor
Congressman Darrell Issa (Photo courtesy House Oversight Committee)
California Congressman Darrell Issa, tired of what he called “stonewalling” by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, has subpoenaed documents relating to a half-dozen “storefront sting” operations that ignited another national scandal for the federal agency.
Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent a letter to BATF Director B. Todd Jones, explaining his displeasure. The sting operations were conducted in six cities, including Milwaukee, Wis., Portland, Ore., Wichita, Kan., Albuquerque, N.M., Pensacola, Fla., and Atlanta, Ga.
The questionable behavior of ATF agents in these operations was exposed by stories in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel early last year regarding “Operation Fearless.” This was the sting operation in that city that, according to an Issa press release, “was fundamentally mismanaged.” Further media reports revealed that the agency allegedly “exploited a mentally disabled man” and then subsequently charged him with a crime.
In another case, also reported by the Journal-Sentinel, a Portland man who was also described as mentally disabled was reportedly cajoled into getting a tattoo on his neck showing a squid smoking pot. The newspaper headline put it bluntly: “ATF uses rogue tactics in storefront stings across the nation.”
In his letter to Jones, Issa asserted that these storefront operations were “dangerously mismanaged.” He also expressed disappointment in ATF’s “complete lack of cooperation with the (Oversight) Committee’s investigation” of the sting operations.
Issa has considerable experience with ATF, having spent more than two years investigating the agency’s activities in the Operation Fast and Furious scandal, which was first revealed by National Gun Rights Examiner David Codrea and independent blogger Mike Vanderboegh at Sipsey Street Irregulars.
This time, Issa notes that the storefront sting included the embarrassing theft of some $40,000 in merchandise and three firearms, including a fully-automatic rifle, belonging to ATF agents.
“Beyond the thefts in Milwaukee,” Issa wrote, “numerous problems existed at other ATF storefront operations.” These problems, he said, included the recruitment of mentally handicapped individuals “to facilitate sales of guns” and who were subsequently arrested for their involvement.
“In one case,” Issa said, “a storefront intended to lure criminals with guns and drugs was inexplicably situated directly across the street from a middle school.”
The subpoena requires ATF to provide the following documents:
- Communications relating to Operation Fearless Distributing and the Monitored Case Program at ATF.
- Operational plans and relevant Reports of Investigation for undercover storefront operations conducted around the country.
- Documents relating to authorization for ATF agents to sell weapons during these operations.
- ATF policies for conducting undercover storefront operations.
- Relevant Reports of Investigation, for undercover storefront operations conducted between January 1, 2010 and March 19, 2014, in the six cities mentioned above.
Issa reminded Jones that letters sent as far back as Jan. 31, April 3 and May 10 last year, and this past Jan. 9, have gone unanswered.
“Despite receiving assurances from your staff that ATF would fully cooperate with our investigation,” Issa wrote yesterday, “not once have you or your staff responded to any of these letters or produced even a single document.
“The time for hollow promises is over,” the congressman said.
Issa is giving Jones until March 31 to hand over the requested documents. It now remains to be seen whether ATF will continue stonewalling – an earmark habit of the Justice Department under Barack Obama and Eric Holder – or cooperate.
