Obama Assertion of Privilege Sparks Questions on What He Knew About Fast and Furious

By Fred Lucas
6/22/2012
Cybercast News Service (cnsnews.com)

If you look at how executive privilege has been historically interpreted it's designed to protect the inner workings of the White House

"One of the big issues that we've been dealing with is who knew about Fast and Furious? When did they know about it? And how high up did it go? And the attorney general has asserted on numerous occasions that he didn't know about this."

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WASHINGTON, DC (CNSNews.com) - President Barack Obama dived head first into the Operation Fast and Furious scandal Wednesday after spending more than a year keeping his distance from the botched gun sting that allowed nearly 2,000 weapons to flow into Mexico.

Obama said he had no knowledge of the scandal before hearing about it in the news. Members of Congress are now questioning that given his claim of executive privilege to withhold certain documents from Congress.

Oversight committee member Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) said executive privilege is intended for communications at the highest levels of the White House. Thus, he said this either means Obama knew about this before saying so, or that he is making an unprecedented claim to executive privilege.

"If you look at how executive privilege has been historically interpreted it's designed to protect the inner workings of the White House, the president talking to his advisors," Farenthold told CNSNews.com. "It's usually involved at the highest levels. And so it's troubling if they're trying to invoke it into every agency or every discussion within an agency. That certainly isn't indicative of the most transparent administration in history, and it creates real problems for this committee.

"The other issue is, if it did go all the way up to the White House, there's a problem there because you have Holder having testified under oath that he hadn't talked to the president. You've had the president on Univision saying he didn't know about it," Farenthold continued. "So, to invoke executive privilege in the White House, that brings those statements into question."

The assertion came just before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee scheduled vote on holding embattled Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), a member of the committee, called for more deference to the executive branch.

"I am horrified that you are going forward with this contempt charge when the president of the United States and the administration have invoked executive privilege for the documents sought by the chairman," Maloney said during the Wednesday hearing.

On June 27, 2011 CNSNews.com asked White House Press Secretary Jay Carney about the exact date that President Barack Obama first learned about Operation Fast and Furious. Carney responded "I'll have to get back to you. I don't have an exact date for you."

It was not until October of last year that Carney clarified that Obama first heard about it when he read about it, and first stated so during an interview with CNN Espanol that aired on March 22, 2011.

In the March 22, 2011 interview, Obama said: "There have been problems, you know. I heard on the news about this story that Fast and Furious, where allegedly guns were being run into Mexico and ATF knew about it but didn't apprehend those who had sent it. Eric Holder has - the attorney general has been very clear that he knew nothing about this. We had assigned an IG, inspector general, to investigate it."

In an October 2011 White House news conference, Obama took a question about Operation Fast and Furious, where he said that Holder "indicated that he was not aware of what was happening in Fast and Furious. Certainly, I was not. And I think both he and I would have been very unhappy if someone had suggested that guns were allowed to pass through that could have been prevented by the United States of America."

On the morning of the committee vote, Deputy Attorney General James Cole sent a letter to committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) informing him that President Obama was invoking executive privilege.

"I write now to inform you that the President has asserted executive privilege over the relevant post-February 4, 2011, documents," Cole wrote. "We regret that we have arrived at this point, after the many steps we have taken to address the Committee's concerns and to accommodate the Committee's legitimate oversight interests regarding Operation Fast and Furious."

The Justice Department provided just 7,600 documents of more than 100,000 subpoenaed by the committee.

"The president's assertion of executive privilege creates even more questions," said Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), a member of the oversight committee. "One of the big issues that we've been dealing with is who knew about Fast and Furious? When did they know about it? And how high up did it go? And the attorney general has asserted on numerous occasions that he didn't know about this."

"Now the president of the United States has claimed executive privilege," Burton continued. "That brings into question whether or not Eric Holder knew about it, and how much did the president know about this. Why would the president claim executive privilege unless there was something very, very important that he felt should not be made known to this ...

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1 - 8 of 8 Comments

Gene Falls
9 months ago
If I as a regular citizen bought a or several AK 47'S sold them to the cartel.They were found at the murder scene then traced back to me.The feds would be at my door step the same day!! I would be an acomlolice to murder.obama is saying those involved the law doesn't apply to them.Imagine. if obama really wan't involved and he blew the lid off this.Odds of him being reelected would be good.You can hear the conversation now.Holder to ob YOU EXERCISE THE EXECUTIVE PRIVLIAGE OR WE ARE BOTH GOING DOWN!
robert matzinger
10 months ago
There's no question that Obama invoked his executive privilege to prevent release of all pertinent documents related to this issue because of his fear of what they may or will reveal about his knowledge of this failed operation and or that of his administration. He doesn't believe the American people deserve to know the truth: only what "he" tells them.
JoAnn
10 months ago
Vance: I am amazed at how some people just can't (or won't) see "Fast & Furious" for what it really is. I wish they would dismiss their party affiliations and look at this objectively. How would they really feel if the shoe was on the other foot? You know, if it was the Rep. party instead. Brian's parents deserve an answer of how and why their son was killed. Wouldn't we want an answer if it were one of us.? This whole thing would have been done and over with if all the communications were handed over months ago and Holder wouldn't have lied about when he was aware of the feat. As you say, it's been a cover-up from the get-go and by "The Dictator" getting involved, he has owned this whole operation. Let's keep praying that the scales will drop from their eyes and they will realize (or accept) who Obama and his comrades really are and what they have been up to, the destruction of this Nation. Obama is the worst president this country has ever known. He has us just where he wants us. You know - "divided we fall." If we don't get this "evil one" and his friends out of office this November, we will never taste true freedom again. The Republic will be dead. But restoring our Nation can't be done by one man alone. He will need lots of help. That means we have to give him the Senate too. If we don't control the Senate and keep the House and get Reid out of the Senate, we will not be effective at all. Reid, Pelosi and all the "progressives" and the commies have got to go. Let's pray that God will stay His Hand and give us another chance to come back to Him. And it's going to take a lot of prayers, fasting and sacrifice. Personally, I think God has lost His patience with us and I don't blame Him. God bless.
Stephany
10 months ago
Rob, who lost his job in this? Please advise.
William Clements
10 months ago
As an American who learned to be proud of the freedom America fought for and won, I have never been more ashamed to be an American than I am now. May the Father's Wrath be felt at the White House until they reveal their 'secrets' to the Public who gave them their limited powers of the people. May the unlimited Powers of God through the Powers of His Holy Spirit fueled by the Eternal Blood and Body of the Risen Lamb, Jesus Christ, bring down Heresy once and for all. And He will throw the Powers of Injustice into the Pits where they shall stay. Amen. Oh St. Michael, Prince of the Heavenly Hosts. Lead Us into battle, where the Saints of the Lord shall Win. And the Powers of Hell shall not Prevail, And the Powers of Hell shall inherit what they deserve, Eternal Death. Amen. God's Law is not to be tampered with, and those who dare tamper it, shall wish they were never born. Amen.
Rob
10 months ago
vance, I'm with on this. But something I've not been able to reconcile about this is what exactly are they looking for? I don't believe that this operation was of the magnitude that Obama would have been personally involved. And honestly, I'm not even sure about Holder. The operation was botched. Someone died. And in typical political fashion no one steps up and takes responsibility. Further, the opposition goes after them with bloodlust. We've been here before. Executive privlege is designed to protect the deliverations of a seperate and distinct body. Maybe Obama just got tired of what he perceived to be a witch hunt or maybe he was involved. At this point we will probably never know. If Issa or the committee has something that suggest criminality or malfeaseace, then they need to bring it out already. But right now it just seems like they are fishing. The operation was a disaster, someone lost their life and people have lost their jobs. But doesn't it seem like during every administration the opposition party always tries to take the head of the AG? Just more drama to distract us.
Stephany
10 months ago
This whole thing brings deception to a new level. Never could one have dreamed that our Country would be made such fools out of, by believing in a pied piper who continues to
lead the gullible to the edge of the cliff and the utter destruction of what we have cherished as One Nation Under God.
Life, Faith, Family, Decency, Accountability, etc... All are being systemetically (sp) destroyed, to be replaced with some sore of Fife-dom, led by the father of lies, no doubt.
Vance
10 months ago
Obama claims he had nothing to do with Fast & Furious, so, why not provide the documents. It reeks of cover-up.

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