Fast and Furious, Six Years Later

PURPOSE:

• To identify what the new officials at the Department of Justice can learn from the mistakes made by their predecessors in responding to Congress’s inquiry.  
• To understand the effect of the Justice Department’s obstruction on these witnesses.

BACKGROUND:

• In June 2011, the Oversight Committee held a hearing entitled “Operation Fast and Furious: Reckless Decisions, Tragic Outcomes.”
• Because of information uncovered during the Congressional investigation, the entire Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) chain of command over Operation Fast and Furious was forced out, and the Justice Department issued new policies prohibiting gun-walking.
• Throughout the investigation, ATF and the Justice Department obstructed Congress’s oversight; after six years, the Committee is still seeking documents related to the Justice Department’s response to the Congressional investigation.