Sean Higgins quotes Rep. Darrell Issa on the reasons B. Todd Jones must not be confirmed to lead the ATF.
Jones was first brought into the job of ATF Acting Director in the middle of the Fast and Furious scandal after Justice Department officials had falsely denied reckless conduct and allegations by his predecessor that there was an effort underway to shield the Department’s senior political appointees from the scandal. Because of the numerous ATF mistakes during his tenure as Acting Director pertaining to Fast and Furious, his nomination is a slap in the face to the family of fallen Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry…
&c, but the weaselly bit here is “in the middle of the Fast and Furious scandal.” He wasn’t in charge when the Fast and Furious operation actually occurred, in 2009. Kenneth Melson was. Melson resigned in the summer of 2011, and Jones was picked to replace him, splitting his time between Minneapolis and D.C. Issa’s complaint is that Jones ran the ATF as it failed to answer questions from Darrell Issa in a satisfying manner.
