Glenn Reynolds
Instapundit
11/9/2011
FAST AND FURIOUS UPDATE: Former Ariz. US Attorney admits leaking memo smearing Fast and Furious whistle-blower.
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.
“Dennis regrets his role in disclosing the memo but he’s a stand-up guy and is willing to take responsibility for what he did,” Chuck Rosenberg, Burke’s lawyer, said according to NPR. “It was absolutely not Dennis’s intent to retaliate against Special Agent Dodson or anyone else for the information they provided Congress.”
Rosenberg claims Burke is cooperating with congressional investigators. . . . 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 came under fire during Tuesday morning’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing when he wouldn’t answer any questions from Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley about the leaked memo, who was held accountable for it and how they were held accountable.
It just keeps unraveling.
Related: Holder: No apology for ‘Fast and Furious’ death of border patrol agent
During a Tuesday Senate hearing, Attorney General Eric Holder refused to apologize to the family of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry, who was murdered last December with a gun “walked” to Mexico as part of Operation Fast and Furious..
Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn asked Holder if he has apologized to Terry’s family for what happened to him because of the DOJ’s controversial program. Holder replied that he hasn’t.
“I have not apologized to them, but I certainly regret what happened,” Holder said.
Cornyn followed up, asking if Holder has “even talked to them.”
“I have not,” Holder replied.
Cornyn offered Holder the opportunity to apologize to Terry’s family, during the hearing, for his murder…
