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October 7, 2011 5:24 PM

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Leahy plans oversight hearing with Holder

By: Sharyl Attkisson
Topics: News

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

/ AP Photo/Susan Walsh

CBS News has learned the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy,D-Vt., is planning to schedule an oversight hearing with Attorney General Eric Holder.

Leahy's Republican counterpart on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has been aggressively investigating the ATF "Fast and Furious" gunwalking scandal since early this year. So far, all hearings on the issue have been held in the House, where Republicans hold a majority.

Holder responds to critics on Fast and Furious

Ariz. Sheriffs call for independent investigation of Gunwalking operation

Sen. Leahy has indicated that he believes, as a former prosecutor, the current congressional investigation must not interfere with the ongoing criminal investigations and prosecutions related to firearms trafficking in "Fast and Furious."

Leahy says, "I share the President's confidence in Attorney General Holder. He has continued to demonstrate his strong commitment to tough law enforcement, transparency and integrity."

Sen. Leahy is working to schedule an oversight hearing with Holder before the end of the year.

Sharyl Attkisson
Sharyl Attkisson is a CBS News investigative correspondent based in Washington. All of her stories, videos and blogs are available here.
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by samuellipari October 17, 2011 7:49 PM EDT: Of course Leahey has confidence in Holder: He Is A Star In The Holder Legacy Continues: http://******/qfy8lS Leahey Protects Holder!!!; Reply to this comment


by exexpat93 October 16, 2011 6:56 PM EDT: What could go wrong with Senile "I want mislabeling of Maple Syrup a felony" Leahy in charge of an oversight committee of DOJ? I don't even have to mention he is a Democrat do I?; Reply to this comment


by jk12852002 October 8, 2011 4:24 PM EDT: Paragraph 1 - "Democratic Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy,D-Vt., is planning to schedule an oversight hearing with Attorney General Eric Holder."

Paragraph 4 - 'Leahy says, "I share the President's confidence in Attorney General Holder. He has continued to demonstrate his strong commitment to tough law enforcement, transparency and integrity."

What's wrong with this picture? Innocent or guilty, the American Public AND Attorney General Holder DESERVE an impartial, INDEPENDENT investigation of this - one NOT related to DOJ or any organization under their umbrella.

The Republican loyalists want to crucify Attorney General Holder.
The Democrat loyalists want to sanctify Attorney General Holder.
The American People, AND Attorney General Holder, deserve nothing more or less than the "truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." Without any spin or shading or "nuance."; Reply to this comment


by frankbeck666 October 8, 2011 1:32 PM EDT: ugghhh ....

This is the second site I've seen today on which you are apparently intentionally posting misinformation. CBS, Fox, and even the New York Times have repeatedly reported that the straw buyers were FBI informants, directed by the ATF and FBI to make these illegal purchases, and allowed to carry these guns across the border to the cartels without tracing or any attempt at interdiction. Last week, Fox posted copies of two letters from the ATF to AZ gun dealers, specifically directing them to make illegal sales. These sales occurred despite vocal protests from the dealers and ATF field agents. Ignorance of the facts is one thing, but posting blatant lies in an effort to obscure the truth is ludicrous. Knock it off.; Reply to this comment


by ihavemydoubts October 8, 2011 9:58 AM EDT: Even a life long politician like Leahy should understand that this goes way beyond partisan politics. People involved here have committed treasonous acts against the U.S. They have involved the U.S. government in sponsoring International Terrorism. This was a deliberately planned operation involving the entire Justice Department and can not be explained away with "mistakes were made". There never was any legitimate law enforcement objective which could possibly have been accomplished by this action which put some 2,000 guns, that we know of now, into the hands of murderous thugs. Talk has gone on for far too long already. It's way past time to charge Melson and Burke, we know they are guilty. Then if they want to try the "I was just following orders" defence, let them show the orders they were following. That's the way you break a crime syndicate, start with those you can catch and put the squeeze on them to name their bosses. Melson and Burke have been caught.; Reply to this comment


by cwhunbun2 October 7, 2011 8:00 PM EDT: Holder sent a letter to the Oversight Committee and let me tell you those weapons he is talking about are not from US Gun dealers many are from the Honduras connection and are courtesy of the US State Dept. Here is the wikileaks cable Lax Honduran controls on U.S.-supplied weapons and wonder where they got them? US State Dept maybe?? http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/04/21/112595/cable-lax-honduran-controls-on.html; Reply to this comment

by cwhunbun2 October 7, 2011 7:29 PM EDT

Excuse me Leahy but the FnF investigations are government officials you idiot! The strawbuyer were hired by US government officials to walk the guns to Mexico!!!!! Just what on going investigations is he talking about???

Reply to this comment


by ugghhh October 7, 2011 10:03 PM EDT: The straw purchasers were not hired by ATF agents to walk guns to Mexico. The reporting on this so inaccurate.


by cwhunbun2 October 8, 2011 12:25 AM EDT: Did not say they were hired by ATF! They were FBI informants ... What reporting are you talking about? How would you know anything about the reporting on this I know the guys that broke the story and have been following Sharyl one of the only non-yellow journalists on MSM. This spans all the alphabet agency's ATF,DEA,FBI,DHS and the State Dept who has been selling Military Grade weapons to Honduras which is where a bulk of the guns are being smuggled into Mexico to the Cartels there.


by ugghhh October 8, 2011 1:10 AM EDT: When I say reporting I mean CBS News and other forms of media channels. I also know "guys' too, but I know the "right" guys. The whistleblowers are fabricating lies and the public needs to know that what has been provided thus far is not accurate information. Yes, this is not just an ATF thing as other agencies were involved and it was difficult on ATF that someone they were tracking turned out to be an FBI informant and FBI wouldn't let them charge this suspect.


by Ole76er October 7, 2011 6:15 PM EDT: I suspect the majority of law abiding Americans would strongly disagree with Senator Leahy's opinion of AG Eric Holder. IF - and that's a huge IF - AG Holder has such a "strong commitment to tough law enforcement, transparency and integrity", WHY then was the DOJ's Fast and Furious fiasco allowed to continue? As the man in charge (I assume) at DOJ, the program should have been shut down by AG Holder in July 2010 (or before) when he was receiving weekly reports from Phoenix. Is that "tough law enforcement OR transparency"?

Since a number of Americans and Mexicans have been gunned down with guns purchased with U.S. taxpayer money and allowed to walk across the U.S./Mexican border under AG Holder's watch, I submit he - Holder - should be removed from Office and charged with being an accessory to murder!; Reply to this comment


by rjdnort October 7, 2011 5:58 PM EDT: Here comes the whitewash!; Reply to this comment

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