Ruh Roh: Email Shows ATF Director Knew of Gunwalking in December, 2010

On July 4th, 2011 Acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson gave testimony to congressional investigators representing Rep. Darrell Issa and Sen. Chuck Grassley. In that interview, Melson allegedly pleaded ignorance about Operation Fast and Furious, saying that when he'd learned about guns walking, he became sick to his stomach.

However, now email evidence has been uncovered that shows Melson not only knew about gunwalking at least as early as a few days after Brian Terry's death but he seemed to be much more concerned about ATF agents leaking information about Fast and Furious to the public than in actually addressing the problem.

Via Western Center for Journalism:

Discovery of a January 2011 e-mail exchange between then Acting ATF Director Ken Melson and the Bureau’s chief council Steve Rubenstein has put the kibosh on Obama administration elites’ latest “we didn’t know about it” defense concerning the regime’s involvement in Operation Fast and Furious.

After reading a post from an alleged ATF agent on the website CleanupATF.org, Melson contacted ATF Chief Counsel Steve Rubenstein. It appeared that Melson got the answer he was looking for because he told Rubenstein thank you and that he would be forwarding the email to Internal Affairs, which has become known as the place to go to report ATF agents whose minds aren't right (wink, wink).

Instead of expressing outrage or even a modicum of concern about the charges, Melson's reaction at least seems to imply he's in support of disciplining ATF agents who had a problem with letting guns walk.

This one is another bombshell and an unwelcome development if you're a member of the Barack Obama administration.

Here is the email exchange in question:

Melson Email