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ATF chief ousted amid gun trafficking probes (Operation Fast & Furious)

It's about time some heads rolled from this mess. Holder should probably loose his job too, we shall wait and see if it does or not. Will be interesting to see how high up the Washington food chain this mess goes up too.

The acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was ousted today in the midst of congressional and internal Justice inquiries into a controversial gun trafficking investigation that allowed hundreds of firearms to fall into the hands of Mexican drug cartel enforcers and criminals in the USA, Kevin Johnson of USA TODAY reports

CAPTION

By Matt York, AP

Attorney General Eric Holder said B. Todd Jones, the top federal prosecutor in Minnesota, will replace Kenneth Melson as acting director of the ATF. Holder said Melson will become senior adviser on forensic science in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Policy.

STORY: Gun operation backfires

"As a seasoned prosecutor and former military judge advocate, Jones is a demonstrated leader who brings a wealth of experience to this position," Holder said. "I have great confidence that he will be a strong and steady influence guiding ATF in fulfilling its mission of combating violent crime by enforcing federal criminal laws and regulations in the firearms and explosives industries."

Johnson has written about the ATF's troubled Operation Fast and Furious, a Phoenix-based operation shut down last December when two weapons purchased by a target of the effort were recovered at the scene of a shootout where U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed.

The gun involved in Terry's killing has not been identified.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/08/atf...

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Permalink Reply by easymoney on August 30, 2011 at 3:11pm

you are referring to Melton, who, against justice dept. request, came forward to the Issa commission and gave his statements. Had to bring his own attorney. He's not been ousted, been re-asgigned to the DOJ, where they can keep an eye on him. Not only was he moved, but also the head of the Pheonix office of batf and the regional director.

What better way to keep- mouths shut, give them a reward for loyalty.

Hope Melton doesn't take any walks in the park or have heart problems

Side note, the DOJ is supposed to be the investigative arm of the gov., is it not??