There is so much happening with Gunwalker now that it is tough to keep track of it all - thanks to everyone who helps keep me informed via this thread. In the "Who knew what and when?" category, it seems that Issa and Grassley have released this email from
October 2009 discussing the border strategy.
From the memo, it isn't clear exactly what was covered; but Gunrunner is specifically mentioned as is the Arizona OCDETF strike force coordinated by the AUSA. It also makes clear that similar operations are taking place in other U.S. cities - which of course makes me wonder if Ken Melson and others at the top of the food chain were OK with weapons walking in Phoenix; what was going in Houston, San Diego, etc.?
The email also lists the following people as being involved:
SAIC Phoenix William Newell (the original author)
David W. Ogden (Office of the Deputt Attorney General)
Lanny Breuer (DOJ CRM)
Kenneth Melson (ATF)
William J. Hoover and Michele Leonhart (DEA)
Robert S. Mueller, III (Director of FBI)
Dennis Burke (U.S. Attorney - AZ)
Every U.S. Attorney in a district bordering Mexico.
Chair of the Attorney General's Advisory Committee
Director Executive Office US Attorneys
Director OCDETF
Director U.S. Marshal Service
Director of Bureau of Federal Prisons
The email includes the redacted cartel strategy memo outlining what was being discussed. Based on that it appears that the 2006 Project Gunwalker was on the list for discussing how this could be expanded to help target Mexican cartels as a topic of discussion. While I wouldn't say this implicates any of the people involved in knowing about the actual guns being walked (although several of the people on the list clearly did know this from other documents), it does add further evidence that AG Holder's claims of ignorance strain credulity. How is it that the Chair of your Advisory Committee is briefed on something at a hearing that involves almost all the major executives of your Department; but you've never heard of it until Judiciary Committee hearings on it began?