Darrell Issa Puts Details of Secret Wiretap Applications in Congressional Record

Roll Call ^ | June 29, 2012 | Jonathan Strong

[Hotlanta Mike]

In the midst of a fiery floor debate over contempt proceedings for Attorney General Eric Holder, House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) quietly dropped a bombshell letter into the Congressional Record. The May 24 letter to Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), ranking member on the panel, quotes from and describes in detail a secret wiretap application that has become a point of debate in the GOP’s “Fast and Furious” gun-walking probe. The wiretap applications are under court seal, and releasing such information to the public would ordinarily be illegal. But Issa appears to be protected by the Speech or Debate Clause in the Constitution, which offers immunity for Congressional speech, especially on a chamber’s floor.

[Brown Deer]

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/issa-puts-wiretap-details-congressional-record_647986.html

[arthurus]

And maybe soon some Chicago concrete boots will be applied soon or the threat has been made to the men’s faces. If one of those guys breaks or has ratted already....

[MissMagnolia]

Issa has been maddening in his deliberateness, but his patience has paid off.

[X-spurt]

That side always practices and fully beleives in “The End Justifies The Means”.

[Brown Deer]

In the midst of a fiery floor debate over contempt proceedings for Attorney General Eric Holder, House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) quietly dropped a bombshell letter into the Congressional Record.

also see: House could arrest Holder with inherent contempt power

[ctdonath2]

Seems that Attorney General Holder knew & approved (if not initiated) illegal smuggling of guns to Mexican drug cartels.
Sen. Issa is investigating; A.G. Holder is stonewalling.

And Issa just published the “smoking gun”: Holder’s signature on wiretaps critical to the operation.

BTW: for no reason yet articulated, the Obama (who has denied any knowledge or involvement) has declared certain critical documents off-limits as important to his office.

[jlnewell]

Here you go:

http://www.martinezreport.com/2012/06/29/issa-brings-stack-of-wiretap-applications-onto-h-o-r/

[jlnewell]

Here you go, Story below:

In the midst of a fiery floor debate over contempt proceedings for Attorney General Eric Holder, House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) quietly dropped a bombshell letter into the Congressional Record.

The May 24 letter to Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), ranking member on the panel, quotes from and describes in detail a secret wiretap application that has become a point of debate in the GOP’s “Fast and Furious” gun-walking probe.

The wiretap applications are under court seal, and releasing such information to the public would ordinarily be illegal. But Issa appears to be protected by the Speech or Debate Clause in the Constitution, which offers immunity for Congressional speech, especially on a chamber’s floor.

According to the letter, the wiretap applications contained a startling amount of detail about the operation, which would have tipped off anyone who read them closely about what tactics were being used. [...]

“The wiretap affidavit details that agents were well aware that large sums of money were being used to purchase a large number of firearms, many of which were flowing across the border,” the letter says.

The application included details such as how many guns specific suspects had purchased via straw purchasers and how many of those guns had been recovered in Mexico.

It also described how ATF officials watched guns bought by suspected straw purchasers but then ended their surveillance without interdicting the guns.

In at least one instance, the guns were recovered at a police stop at the U.S.-Mexico border the next day.

The application included financial details for four suspected straw purchasers showing they had purchased $373,000 worth of guns in cash but reported almost no income for the previous year, the letter says.

“Although ATF was aware of these facts, no one was arrested, and ATF failed to even approach the straw purchasers. Upon learning these details through its review of this wiretap affidavit, senior Justice Department officials had a duty to stop this operation. Further, failure to do so was a violation of Justice Department policy,” the letter says.

[Tucker39]

Linkee workee belly good on my Android phone.

[Tucker39]

Obviously not going to walk the plank for witHOLDER or Zero! Nor SHOULD they!

[GregNH]

[Hotlanta Mike]

[Hotlanta Mike]

[GregNH]

[GregNH]

That is the best ROFLMAO gif I have ever seen.....lol

[Hotlanta Mike]

Issa on Hannity’s radio show now!!!

[LuvFreeRepublic]

Thanks. I am familiar with F&F, but just wasn't sure of the wiretap thing. Finally being able to read the article helped to clear things up, and your reply confirms my thinking. Major stall in progress until after the election, is my guess. Issa needs to keep the pressure on. Heck, cut to the chase and arrest the SOB.

[TexasNative2000]

Prediction on media coverage;

There will be far more outrage over Issa's tactic than the deaths associated with F&F, Holder's Contempt citation, or Obama's use of ExPr. Expect the talking point aimed at Issa to be something along the lines of "an unprecedented national security breach" for this tactic.

[Excellence]

I watched that live and didn't understand the implications until now. It was interesting, though. A democrat would take two minutes to make some lame claim about something, and Issa would take ten seconds to destroy it. Just ten seconds.

[Flotsam_Jetsome]

"And Issa got these wiretapp apps into the public record (they were court sealed) due to the floor debate for the contempt vote. LOL!!!"

That's freakin' awesome!

Thanks for the ping, BD.