U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke admitts leaking F&F whistleblower's name

[one-eyed fat man]

Former Arizona U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke, who resigned in August, admitted late Tuesday that he leaked a document aimed at smearing Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent John Dodson, an Operation Fast and Furious whistle-blower.

http://m.npr.org/news/front/142149096?page=0

The memo was leaked to press and had the names of criminal suspects deleted — but kept Dodson’s name on it. Attorney General Eric Holder wouldn’t answer any questions the leaked memo.

It’s unclear if Burke was the only DOJ official who leaked documents to smear whistle-blowers, but Dodson thinks Burke “did not act alone.”

Justice has been desperately trying to tie an earlier operation, "Wide Receiver," which was conducted with the full knowledge and cooperation of the Mexican government but failed because the smugglers either outfoxed high tech surveillance methods or the transfer of surveillance from agents on one side of the border to the other were mishandled.

By contrast, the Mexican authorities were never informed about "Fast & Furious" so had no clue that guns were coming across and this caused ATF street agents like Dodson to blow the whistle after their complaints were rebuffed by the SAC, Bill Newell. Mindful, this is an agency known to be vindictive to whistle-blowers.

Another difference between "Fast & Furious" is that, Bill Newell, the Special Agent in Charge in charge of the operation had regular back channel communications with White House National Security Staffer Kevin O'Reilly. Emails indicate the two also spoke on the phone.

This appears to be the second time that Dennis Burke has fallen on his sword trying deflect further scrutiny up the chain in Justice.

[Katya Mullethov]

1. Did O'Reilly get his phone fixed yet ?

They were having some technical difficulties .

[one-eyed fat man]

6. You have a point

One important question in "Fast and Furious" is how much the White House knew about the gun walking. A key witness on that would be Kevin O’Reilly, member of the president's National Security Council... but the White said he was in Iraq, and "unreachable."

Kevin O’Reilly was unexpectedly named director of the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau for Iraq (INL-Iraq). Long-time INL-Iraq employee Virginia Ramadan had been expected to get the position — many were quite surprised when she did not.

Reporters called the Office of the Director, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau for Iraq office phone: [phone], ext. 3275 (which unless I'm reading it wrong, is in the Maryland suburbs of DC, area code 240), called it, and were told he was on a conference call. They left voicemail, and when they called back the number had been disconnected.

Since when are the wilds of Maryland considered "unreachable?"

[Fumesucker]

2. I don't think there's such a thing as a bureaucracy that's friendly to whistle-blowers..

Every single whistle-blower that I can think of offhand has had their life fucked with..

[slackmaster]

3. Whistle-blowers tend to arise from organizations that are fundamentally stupid

That's why there was something to blow the whistle about in the first place.

[Fumesucker]

4. I'm having trouble thinking of an hierarchical organization that's not fundamentally stupid..

I'm reminded of the old quip about a committee being the only known form of life with multiple mouths, multiple assholes and no brain.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. 'search all your parks in all your cities, you'll find no statutes of a committee anywhere'