House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrel Issa (R-Calif.) accused Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday of a “failure to perform [their] lawful duties” over the botched Fast and Furious gun-trafficking operation.
On Wednesday, Napolitano indicated that she had not discussed specifics of the operation with Holder. Issa and fellow Republicans in Congress have criticized the officials for not communicating effectively, or being honest about their involvement in the operation.
“In the case of the top law enforcement officer, Eric Holder, the top security officer, for our security around our borders and around the world, Janet Napolitano — they have to talk, they have to talk daily, weekly; they have to communicate” Issa said on Thursday.
The Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives program oversaw the sale of thousands of firearms to known and suspected straw buyers for Mexican drug cartels. Two of the firearms were later found at the murder scene of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.
Issa also questioned whether top administration officials are trying to deflect responsibility for Fast and Furious.
“Basically [the inspector general] said, ‘go find people to blame at a low level,’ and she [Napolitano] is in the process of doing that,” he alleged.
