ATF denies it promoted Fast and Furious supervisors (GOP/NRA propaganda fail)

[jpak]

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/17/nation/la-na-atf-guns-20110818

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Wednesday that three supervisors in its controversial Fast and Furious gun-trafficking investigation were transferred to lateral jobs, not promoted.

"They did not receive salary or grade increases, nor did they assume positions with greater responsibility," the agency said in a short statement.

The Times reported Tuesday that William G. McMahon, William D. Newell and David Voth, three key supervisors in the Phoenix-run investigation that went awry, were promoted to management positions at the ATF's Washington headquarters.

After that report, the House committee investigating Fast and Furious asked the ATF to explain the new jobs and clarify whether the men had been promoted. On Wednesday, the agency's acting director, Kenneth E. Melson, told the Oversight and Government Reform Committee staff that the jobs were not considered promotions because no one got a raise. Then the ATF issued its statement.

<more>

[ileus]

1. yeah...no one gets a promotion with a salary increase.

[safeinOhio]

2. You mean to say the NRA spreads false rumors,

again.

[SteveM]

5. No, look closer to home: See # 3. nt

[MicaelS]

3. The real question is "Why weren't they fired?"

From your own link...

Three ATF agents, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the continuing investigation, told The Times Monday that they were amazed at what they viewed as promotions to headquarters.

And it has been rank and file ATF Agents who broke this story. Not the NRA. Not the GOP. The only failure here is you.

[Tejas]

4. Baghdad Bob, don't look now but...

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-atf-guns-20110816,0,7676977.story

Kenneth E. Melson, the ATF's acting director, said in an agency-wide confidential email announcing the promotion that McMahon was among ATF employees being rewarded because of "the skills and abilities they have demonstrated throughout their careers."

[Katya Mullethov]

6. Did he ever

"capture the interest and attention of peers and mentors alike" ?

[friendly_iconoclast]

9. It gets even better further down the same page:

McMahon was promoted Sunday to deputy assistant director of the ATF's Office of Professional Responsibility and Security Operations — the division that investigates misconduct by employees and other problems.

[spin]

7. Right, we can believe the ATF management because they not only have tremendous credibility ...

they also have our best interests at heart.

That's probably why that can't release any details of the eleven crimes in the United States where weapons they allowed to walk were found.

Firearms from ATF sting linked to 11 more violent crimes

Guns from Operation Fast and Furious were found at scenes in Arizona and Texas, the Justice Department acknowledges, widening the scope of the danger posed by the program.

August 17, 2011|By Richard A. Serrano, Washington Bureau

Firearms from the ATF's Operation Fast and Furious weapons trafficking investigation turned up at the scenes of at least 11 violent crimes in the U.S., as well as at a Border Patrol agent's slaying in southern Arizona last year, the Justice Department has acknowledged to Congress.

But The Times has learned that they occurred in several Arizona cities, including Phoenix, where Fast and Furious was managed, as well as in El Paso, where a total of 42 weapons from the operation were seized at two crime scenes.emphasis added

The new numbers, which expand the scope of the danger the program posed to U.S. citizens over a 14-month period, are contained in a letter that Justice Department officials turned over to the Senate Judiciary Committee last month.

In the letter, obtained by The Times on Tuesday, Justice Department officials also reported that Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officials advised them that the agency's acting director, Kenneth E. Melson, "likely became aware" of the operation as early as December 2009, a month after it began.
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/17/nation/la-na-atf-guns-20110817

[gravity556]

8. These guys should

be fucking terminated and extradited to Mexico, then when their sentence is done there, repatriated to the US to stand trial for their crimes here. Every single member of the BATFE and any individual that knowingly provided the ATF with funding to do this shit and/or knew what was going on. Ignorance of the law is no excuse for any of us, is it?

And then for the same ATF to word their trace report so that it could be misconstrued as 90% of ALL guns siezed instead of the 12-17% of all guns siezed, but 90% of the guns that were presented to ATF for a trace could be traced back to the US market. Instead, the headlines were 90% OF ALL MEXICAN CRIME GUNS TRACED FROM US! and Calderon came knocking, looking for an AWB again. But then the F&F thing broke and the BATFEces credibility hit the floor.

So yeah, I think that there should be some ATF agents in jail. Plus the ones who "encouraged" the gun shop here in AZ to make what he kept TELLING THE ATF were straw purchases. Then when the agent got killed with one of those guns, the ATF was gonna jump on this poor bastard with both feet to protect their little operation, but someone blew the whistle.

Fascinating case.

[Katya Mullethov]

10. Was gonna ?

They went full court press on Carters Country Guns .


And guess who still has their FFL ?

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Remmah2]

11. Private companies fire people for lesser infractions.

This sad.