Rep. Jim Matheson, Utah Democrat, broke ranks with the Obama administration over operation Fast and Furious, pledging to vote in favor of holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt. He explained why in the following statement released this morning:
“The 2009 operation known as “Fast and Furious” went horribly wrong. Officials lost track of over 1,400 guns they were using in an effort to identify and arrest Mexican drug cartel leaders. Some of the guns ended up being connected to crimes, including one used in the murder of U.S. Board Patrol agent Brian Terry.
Regardless of when “Fast and Furious” began, as the head of the Justice Department in 2009, Attorney General Holder is ultimately in charge of getting to the bottom of this tragedy and informing Congress so that people responsible for this ill-conceived effort are held accountable and to prevent it from ever happening again.
Utahns expect and deserve transparency and accountability from government officials, especially when a tragedy such as the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent occurs. It just compounds the tragedy when both sides play politics instead of releasing the facts. The Terry family, the public and Congress deserve answers. Sadly, it seems that it will take holding the Attorney General in contempt to communicate that evasiveness is unacceptable. It is a vote I will support.”
