September 30, 2011 9:35 PM

New Fast and Furious docs released by White House

By
Sharyl Attkisson
Topics
Law and Order

WASHINGTON - Late Friday, the White House turned over new documents in the Congressional investigation into the ATF "Fast and Furious" gunwalking scandal.

The documents show extensive communications between then-ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix office Bill Newell - who led Fast and Furious - and then-White House National Security Staffer Kevin O'Reilly. Emails indicate the two also spoke on the phone. Such detailed, direct communications between a local ATF manager in Phoenix and a White House national security staffer has raised interest among Congressional investigators looking into Fast and Furious. Newell has said he and O'Reilly are long time friends.

Newly-released White House documents (pdf)

ATF agents say that in Fast and Furious, their agency allowed thousands of assault rifles and other weapons to be sold to suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels. At least two of the guns turned up at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry last December.

ATF Manager says he shared Fast and Furious with the White House

The email exchanges span a little over a month last summer. They discuss ATF's gun trafficking efforts along the border including the controversial Fast and Furious case, though not by name. The emails to and from O'Reilly indicate more than just a passing interest in the Phoenix office's gun trafficking cases. They do not mention specific tactics such as "letting guns walk."

A lawyer for the White House wrote Congressional investigators: "none of the communications between ATF and the White House revealed the investigative law enforcement tactics at issue in your inquiry, let alone any decision to allow guns to 'walk.'"

ATF Fast and Furious: Who at the White House knew?

Among the documents produced: an email in which ATF's Newell sent the White House's O'Reilly an "arrow chart reflecting the ultimate destination of firearms we intercepted and/or where the guns ended up." The chart shows arrows leading from Arizona to destinations all over Mexico.

Newell email (09.03.10) (pdf)
Arizona Gunrunner Impact Team chart (pdf)

In response, O'Reilly wrote on Sept. 3, 2010 "The arrow chart is really interesting - and - no surprise - implies at least that different (Drug Trafficking Organizations) in Mexico have very different and geographically distinct networks in the US for acquiring guns. Did last year's TX effort develop a similar graphic?"

O'Reilly email (09.03.10) (pdf)

The White House counsel who produced the documents stated that some records were not included because of "significant confidentiality interests."

(Credit: CBS)
Also included are email photographs including images of a .50 caliber rifle (left) that Newell tells O'Reilly "was purchased in Tucson, Arizona (part of another OCDTF case)." OCDTF is a joint task force that operates under the Department of Justice and includes the US Attorneys, ATF, DEA, FBI, ICE and IRS. Fast and Furious was an OCDTF case.

An administration source would not describe the Tucson OCDTF case. However, CBS News has learned that ATF's Phoenix office led an operation out of Tucson called "Wide Receiver." Sources claim ATF allowed guns to "walk" in that operation, much like Fast and Furious.

Congressional investigators for Republicans Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) have asked to interview O'Reilly by September 30. But the Administration informed them that O'Reilly is on assignment for the State Department in Iraq and unavailable.

One administration source says White House national security staffers were "briefed on the toplines of ongoing federal efforts, but nobody in White House knew about the investigative tactics being used in the operation, let alone any decision to let guns walk."


  • Sharyl Attkisson

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

Add a Comment See all 267 Comments
by feliciabell January 24, 2012 9:49 PM EST
Obama is doing a good job but people don't see it he didn't make this mess it was the president before him and he trying to make a difference for every one but the Republican trying to blame every thing on him but there self but we need help for mothers who have disable kids who has artisum and other disability who chose to take care of there disable kid or kids with artisum this mothers are going through thorough time when they have to take care there child and there not talking to many pervert in this world we as mother as this kids need help to.
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by pdcqrmx November 30, 2011 7:45 PM EST
I do not see many comments on what this has done to Mexico. The thousand of innocent lives taken by US guns. Millions in dollars spent by Mexico to protect their citizens and help the US in the supply of drugs. If the US is so powerful then why can it not stop 6 billion in drugs that cross the border each year, and the millions in illegal Mexicans who cross? Not proud to say I am an American. It is a sad day. What plans does the US have to clean up this mess? Not time to blame time to make a horrible mistake right
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by fxr60 November 18, 2011 4:03 PM EST
I have NO DOUBT that Obama and Holder know EVERYTHING about this case, but they will try to lie out of it! Just like Obama is lying about Solyndra-he pushed that deal for political reasons and it has backfired on him. Obama needs to go back to Chicago! Maybe he can pick up his membership again in the "New Party" established by the Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) to push the socialist ideals.Just found out about this by scanning the internet.
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by hearsbothsides October 19, 2011 8:13 PM EDT
I have followed this investigation from back in the summer of 2010 when it came to lite that the GunStore Owner in Arizona spoke with local news media stating they were very concerned about the FACT that they were contacting THE ATF as well as "NICS" which is the FBI Background Approval Agency who is called on EVERY PURCHASER who buys a firearm at their store. The FBI is again called on EVERY SALE FOR THEIR APPROVAL and even when the Gun Store Suspects a buyer is what is called "A STRAW BUYER" the gun store can not refuse to sell them a gun on a hunch so they rely on the "NICS" which is agian FBI and ATF Informed to stop known smugglers and such. Since 2009 they would call in repeat buyers and at that time before letting the guns go out the door they would "TELL NICS (FBI / ATF ) THAT THIS GUY IS A STRAW BUYER AND HE HAS PURCHASED DOZENS OF THESE GUNS RECENTLY WHAT IS GOING ON YOU GUYS DON'T STOP THEM AND WE CAN'T WE ARE VERY WORRIED THIS COULD COME BACK AND BITE US ??? They were told "BY NICS" while still able to prevent THE STRAW BUYER FROM LEAVING WITH ANOTHER DOZEN OF THE ASSULT TYPE WEAPONS THAT THIS GUY WAS "OK" and that they know what is going on and they are on "ON TOP OF IT AND FOLLOWING THE GUNS" Store Owners and sales personel would reply "HOPE YOU ARE RIGHT OR THIS COULD MAKE US LOOK REALLY BAD LATER IF THESE GUNS GET THROUGH. They were constantly told NOT TO WORRY AND GO AHEAD AND SELL THEM MORE. The ATF Field Agents were going INSANE as to why their Bosses were "ALL ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN ?" Those who asked twice were "Threatened concerning job security and or transferred to LOWER SLOVOLVIA losing rank or worse. Those who became WHISSTLE BLOWERS AFTER OUR OWN AGENT WAS KILLED BY CARTEL PERSONEL WHO HAD IN THEIR POSSESION GUNS THAT WERE ALLOWED TO "WALK" BY FBI / ATF, DOJ AND PRESENT ADMINISTRATION . THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION "FIRED YES FIRED THE WHISSLEBLOWERS AND THEY ARE BLACKBALLED FROM OTHER POSITIONS. Does anyone really believe that this Covert Operation was started and run by a group of local AFT BOSSES in Arizona. ANYONE? I hearbothsides and here have follwed it EVERYDAY as well as contacting both of our Government Ellected Officials Congressman Issa and Senator Grassley supporting their efforts and asking others to also contact and support their efforts and not to by SIDELINED AND BULLDOZED by ALL FORMENTIONED AGENCIES. Again if anyone out there capable of reading this believes that this started from the bottom and went up in other words does not recognize that THIS ADMINISTRATION IS BEHIND ALL OF THIS BELIEVING THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS (THEY KNEW THESE GUNS WERE GOING TO BE USED TO KILL HUMANS AND NOT VARMITS AS SPORTSMEN USE THEM FOR) IF YOU DON'T SEE THE CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER THEN I HAVE GOT A GREAT DEAL FOR YOU A ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHANCE TO BUY MY MONTANA OCEAN VIEW RANCH.
I HOPE EVERYONE WILL CONTACT THE ONLY TWO WHO MAY JUST SAVE OUR COUNTRY AND SUPPORT THEM IMMEDIATELY as this ADMINISTRATION I BELIEVE IS THE BEST EVER IN COVERING THEIR TRACKS. TWO WEEKS AGO SOMEONE IN THIS ADMINISTRATION WAS SUPENIOED WITH NO RESPONSE OTHER THAT AFTER CONTINUED REQUESTS TO REACH THAT PERSON CONGRESSMAN ISSA WAS INFORMED THAT HE WAS SUDDENLY TRANSFERED TO "IRAQ" And that it had been scheduled some time before the request to testify in front of Congress.( I WOULD NOT, NOT HAVE GONE IF I WAS HIM...) ANYONE STILL NOT SEEING THE LITE WELL THEN IT'S YOURS, MY MONTANA RANCH WITH THE BEAUTIFUL OCEAN VIEW IS YOURS FOR ONLY __ (what do you have of value?) Finally I Congradulate CBS for finally once again but not seen for 3 years reporting FACTS THAT SHOULD CONCERN EVERY AMERICAN and due to the fact that the MAJORITY OF AMERICANS get their news from the big 3, WELCOME BACK . I TRULY HOPE YPOU AND YOUR INVESTIGATING REPORTERS WILL NOT BE BULLDOZED UNDER BY THIS CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER THAT BEING THIS ADMINISTRATION.
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by Goofer-Buddy October 4, 2011 11:41 AM EDT
Just another government crony that does not understand his job.
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by bajajohn1 October 3, 2011 6:41 PM EDT
The entire weapons industry worldwide is out of control!
Reply to this comment
by titanicsdoom October 5, 2011 12:44 PM EDT
Are you clueless it's the government and libetards like you that are out of control
by iamproteus October 2, 2011 5:15 PM EDT
You people are hilarious!! You should write for a TV detective show. Your imaginations are in overdrive! Your conspiracy theories are so far out there that only truly die-hard conspiracists could do anything but laugh at you.
Reply to this comment
by OnceALiberalNowAModerate October 2, 2011 6:49 PM EDT
Yeah. That's what they all say from the far far left. Just keep watching, and you'll learn that it isn't just the far right that is out of control -- the far left is too.
by titanicsdoom October 5, 2011 1:40 PM EDT
Ok so you are saying what none of this happened? So I suppose that border agent and 11 others are still alive and that is a figment of our over active imagination. Perhaps your only claiming that Eric holder didn't know this, and some lone field agent was able to draw out all those tax dollars on a whim to move this program along, is that it? If that is true then we at least need to remove Holder for incompetence of command for being clueless about what his departments are doing.
by francismarion October 2, 2011 5:09 PM EDT
Wonder how the Border Patrol agents and their families feel about fast and furious? http://catamounttavern.blogspot.com/
Reply to this comment
by PR_in_Alabama October 2, 2011 3:53 PM EDT
The amount of loose weapons that went to Mexico, the timeline is YEARS to distribute.
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by PR_in_Alabama October 2, 2011 2:05 PM EDT
The fast and furious operation started over five years ago. Info from friends from ICE.
Reply to this comment
by PR_in_Alabama October 2, 2011 3:50 PM EDT
Regardless of who authorized this program, BUSH, CHENEY, Obama, the program was a BAD BAD BAD IDEA from the geiko. I was told the program is been active is 2006 and it makes sense, because of the amount of weapons sold, it will take quite a few years to distribute the amounts of hardware they allege is outthere.
by bajajohn1 October 3, 2011 6:37 PM EDT
ONE-Whatever---You lie!
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