ATF Director Blows Subpoena Deadline, Issa Escalates

ATF Director Kenneth Melson has been blowing off deadlines in letters from Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) for a few months now. Count a blown subpoena deadline from Issa among Melson's list of instances in which he refused to comply. On March 31st, Issa subpoenaed Melson and gave him a deadline of April 13th. That deadline came and went. Now, Issa is issuing a stern warning to Melson that contempt hearings may take place.

In his most recent letter, Issa refers to the ATF's previous reasons for non-compliance, that there is an ongoing investigation. Issa's argument, which is quite sound, is that the ATF may have the right to withhold documents in a case that Congress is aiding them with but not in a case where ATF is the subject of the investigation.

Perhaps the final paragraph in Issa's letter is the most scathing:

While I am certainly sensitive to protecting the integrity of pending criminal investigations, the Department has not provided information to substantiate its claims or produced other documents unrelated to specific cases. Therefore, I am hereby informing you that the Committee intends to enforce the subpoena issued to you on March 31, 2011. If you do not comply with the subpoena, the Committee will be forced to commence contempt proceedings.

The longer the ATF stonewalls, the worse this will look for the administration. Courtesy of whistleblowers at the ATF, it is charged that ATF Director Melson was aware of Operation Fast and Furious, a program that allowed guns to 'walk' into Mexico. Two of those guns were found at the murder scene of Border Agent Brian Terry.

Also, the longer the administration does not find someone in the ATF who authorized the program without approval, the worse it looks for the administration itself. If this extends to Obama - or even Holder - it is Watergate with murder.

Read it all.