Scroll Left Scroll Right

U.S. Prosecutors: Colo. gunman threatened professor 1 of 9
World Iran: "Rural white" Americans fond of Ahmadinejad 2 of 9
U.S. Minneapolis gunman had just been fired: Police 3 of 9
Gallery Manipulated photography before Photoshop 4 of 9
Sports Regular NFL refs return, get standing ovation 5 of 9
CBS This Morning Beach Boys reuniting for last time? 6 of 9
Politics Voter registration fraud claims singe GOP 7 of 9
Entertainment Another ratings coup for Honey Boo Boo 8 of 9
World Somali militants forced from last stronghold? 9 of 9

September 26, 2011 11:36 AM

Print
Text

White House answers Congress in Gunwalker

By: Sharyl Attkisson
Topics: News

CBS/AP

An administration official Congress wanted to interview before the end of the month may be unavailable. That's according to a new letter from a White House counsel to members of Congress investigating the ATF Fast and Furious "Gunwalker" scandal.

On September 9th, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) asked the White House to make former National Security Advisor Kevin O'Reilly available for an interview before the end of September to help "determine the extent of the involvement of White House staff in Operation Fast and Furious."

Emails already obtained by Congress show O'Reilly communicated about gun trafficking efforts with then-Special Agent in Charge of ATF's Phoenix office William Newell as early as summer of 2010. In the email exchanges O'Reilly asked Newell if it was okay to share the information with other White House staffers. Congressional investigators are seeking all related communications.

The new letter from the President's counsel doesn't say O'Reilly can't be interviewed by Congressional investigators, but neither does it provide an availability date. Instead the letter states that

O'Reilly, who has moved from the White House to the State Department from where he was tasked, is "currently on a previously scheduled assignment to Iraq."

The members of Congress also asked for other documents and communications within the White House staff regarding Fast and Furious by September 23rd. No materials were provided, but the President's Attorney indicated some could be handed over by the end of this week.

In Operation Fast and Furious, ATF allegedly allowed thousands of weapons to "walk" onto the streets and into the hands of Mexico's drug cartels.

President Obama has said neither he nor Attorney General Eric Holder approved of or knew about any gunwalking. Further, a spokesman for the administration has said nobody in the White House knew of any gunwalking tactics.

Sharyl Attkisson
Sharyl Attkisson is a CBS News investigative correspondent based in Washington. All of her stories, videos and blogs are available here.
Follow on Twitter »

14 Comments +

Add a Comment

See all 14 Comments


by rshawk October 27, 2011 3:12 PM EDT: It's been reported that Kevin O'Reilly has been located as the INL-Iraq director. Intriguing.; Reply to this comment


by Heathergreeneyes September 28, 2011 8:13 PM EDT: I sure hope that guy in Iraq does not know anything! Accidents happen! You know, a Preditor drone gets the wrong GPS coordinates or some other similar goof.; Reply to this comment


by jt92202 September 27, 2011 3:34 PM EDT: The FREE PRESS and I use that term loosely, is suppose to keep our government, at least a little, under the petri dish so to speak but for some reason they have buried this story as deep as they can. Sharyl Attkisson keeps writing stories but they aren't put on the front page and if they are they are there for a very stort time. Do a search on CBS for Fast and Furious and you will see all the storys she has written and very little coverage by anyone else in the Main Stream Media.

When the Constitution of America was written there was a reason they they put the Press in the 1st Amendment, they wanted checks and balances! Back then and up to the recent past (lst 30 to 40 years) the Press pushed the government on issues like this and made a stink when something smelled bad! Unfortunanly it seems like a lot of the Media is in the pockets of the government!; Reply to this comment


by ErikRush September 27, 2011 12:34 PM EDT: It isn't even remotely believable that neither Holder nor Obama knew about the intricacies of F&F. This is just the tip of a nasty, angry zit that's going to pop and spew evidence of this administration's criminality all over Washington. It's getting harder to deny every day.; Reply to this comment


by burbanite September 27, 2011 11:17 AM EDT: DanFrain,

I wouldn't put it past those in charge and I will bet it has been "suggested" to the other MSM outlets as well. The best thing CBS could do would be to bust this wide open and really, really make a name for themselves.

If they devoted time every day during the evening to a special Fast and Furious report starting with a time line and updates each day it people would follow this as it unfolded. Put Sharyl as the lead and have a dedicated CBS website link on screen where everyone could go to view the letters and documents for themselves.

Make it into such a show that it would be impossible to miss then let the WH try to keep them on the outer, if that happened they could use it as an example of how they have stonewalled the investigations. Report on it with live feed from the WH or from the hearings, (and I know Sharyl was in attendance at least at the last one). Go to Phoenix, show the ATF offices, same with DC. Go to Mexico and ask the families of those that have been killed. Talk to the Terry family on air.

That would give CBS the power over the rest of the MSM by being the ones that reported the destruction of an administration. That hasn't happened in a long time and opportunities like this don't come around every day.; Reply to this comment


by ammo17 September 27, 2011 10:45 AM EDT: the only way we are going to get the truth out of this lying administration,is to panel a federal grand jury.we are wasting time and money with these congressional hearings.what are they going to accomplish?a censure to the people who are resposible for mass murder and treason.; Reply to this comment


by boondog70 September 26, 2011 6:13 PM EDT: Thank you CBS for at least trying to bring forth the news. I have been following this story since the beginning along with millions of other people. This whole thing has been stonewalled by the Obama adminstration. Now, to make things worse, another news outlet has found out that 1.5 million dollars of taxpayer money was used to buy these guns by strawbuyers that were allowed to walk. By all accounts there was little done by the higher ups to follow where these guns went. This day I send out a plea to the media to begin to do what their job is and that is to cover the news and not hide it from the american people. I find it very disturbing that noone in the press core that goes to the Obama press conferences has had the courage to ask about this. That is not what a democracy is. The media in banana republics is owned by the state so have we gotten to this point that our media is told what to report by the higher ups. If we have our countries freedom is already lost.; Reply to this comment


by hearsbothsides September 26, 2011 3:14 PM EDT: Does anyone even begin to believe this story as anything but continuing cover-up? ANYONE ?
I have followed this story from both sides back to Bush Administration starting "Gunrunner" which was to check into flow of arms to Mexico and was in process but President Obama and His Administration started an entirely new Program that would allow THOUSANDS OF HUMAN KILLING TYPE WEAPONS get into the Mexican Cartel so as to make the Gun Shops Look Responsible and then put in motion new Gun Contrll Laws by Executive Order. Problem is some guns that were not like washed yet in plan killed a Border Patrol Agent and that was when the field ATF Agents who thought nthe whole Program was INSANE from day one but were forced to go along with it said "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" and strted blowing the whissle on the whole thing. Those Whisstle Blowers HAVE BEEN FIRED AND REASSIGNED AS EXAMPLES TO OTHERS. But thank GOD we have a couple of ELECTED OFFICAILS WHO ARE NOT SO EASILY SHUT UP AND CONTINUE TO SEEK THE TRUTH> The facts would be out if the other news medias were not in bed so far under the covers with this ADMINISTRATION. Call and support SENATOR GRASSLEY and CONGRESSMAN ISSAM SO WE CAN LEARN THE FINAL TRUTH OF HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED AND WHO PUT SUCH PRESSURE ON TO SEE IT THROUGH. ?; Reply to this comment


by vfny September 26, 2011 2:53 PM EDT: Thanks indeed to Sharyl Attkisson. I've only just seen this story and I'm wondering how it is that I haven't heard a peep about it on CNN. I hate to jump to conclusions, but the delay in delivery of requested documents raises by level of suspicion greatly. If any of this story is true, then it would be clear that the administration's gun control positions have been put forth to mislead the people, or, that his position is completely dishonest (or both). This story needs full vetting, and it needs to see the light of day.; Reply to this comment

by OIF_to_USC September 26, 2011 2:41 PM EDT

I'm sure that a U.S. House and Senate inquiry could trump a tour of Iraq duty with things winding down there. This cover up has dragged on long enough. Now that things are moving and other people are talking, the White House hits the "stall button." Time for a special prosecutor and a House-Senate trial of some administration officials.

Reply to this comment


by djaymick September 26, 2011 10:21 PM EDT: Will this guy even come back alive? If you look at another Democratic scandal under Bill Clinton, Whitewater, most of the main players in that scandal somehow turned up dead over a three year period. I don't hope that happens, but its funny how quickly this guy was ousted from the White House, back to the State Department and then off to Iraq.

See all 14 Comments

Popular Now in CBS Evening News

recommended

Follow CBS News Investigates

Got a Tip?

Contact the CBS News Investigative Unit
investigates@cbsnews.com
212-975-7171

Most Popular on CBS News

Stories More »

Videos More »

6 Photos | View Gallery »
"Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker" arrested in NJ murder
9 Photos | View Gallery »
Inside the analyst's office
5 Photos | View Gallery »
Facebook's first year on Wall Street
12 Photos | View Gallery »
Jodi Arias close up
21 Photos | View Gallery »
Photos of the Week

Scroll Left

Scroll Right More »

CBS News on Facebook

White House answers Congress in Gunwalker

Report offensive content:

E-mail this comment to a friend.

Follow CBS News Investigates

Got a Tip?

48 Hours iPad App