Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made the following statement after an Office of Inspector General Report showed that U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke leaked a sensitive document to the press regarding a whistleblower who had come forward with allegations of gunwalking, that he leaked an internal memo regarding Fast and Furious suspect Jaime Avila to the New York Times, and that he lied to Deputy Attorney General James Cole. The document leaked to Fox News was deemed so sensitive by the Justice Department that it was not provided to Congress, except in a secured room at department headquarters.

"The Inspector General outlined the Justice Department's efforts to undermine Special Agent Dodson's credibility, the whistleblower who had the guts to come forward and tell Congress the truth about Operation Fast and Furious. The Inspector General confirmed that Mr. Burke went to great lengths to discredit Special Agent Dodson and Congress investigation into the gunwalking that led to the death of Customs and Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Mr. Burke's refusal to cooperate with the Inspector General's investigation shows me that he didn t operate in good faith. His actions are indicative of this administration's willingness to attack whistleblowers who cooperate with Congress and show the administration's commitment to undermine legitimate congressional oversight.



Read the article: The Office of Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)