Operation Gunwalker update: Codrea posts open letter to Senate Judiciary Committee

Reposted verbatim:

Open Letter to Senate Judiciary Committee staff on 'Project Gunwalker'

To: Brian Downey, Senate Judicary Committee Staff

Dear Mr. Downey,

Charlie Harman, Chief of Staff for Sen. Saxby Chambliss tells us you are the appropriate Senate Judiciary Committee contact to discuss "Project Gunwalker" with, and says he has already forwarded some relevant documentation to you.  Here's why:

ATF employees are looking to come forward and provide testimony and documentation about guns being illegally transported to Mexico, with management cognizance, in order to pad numbers and justify Project Gunrunner expansion. This includes gun stores being used to allow illegal sales to proceed. Additionally, the gun used in the recent killing of a Border Patrol agent is alleged to be one of the guns involved.  My colleagues and I working to bring this to light are told the Mexican authorities have been intentionally kept in the dark about this, with the approval to do so coming from Washington, and protests have been overridden. 

In order for these people to come forward, they require whistle-blower protection. Because the allegations involve high levels in Washington, they require the extra protection afforded through separation of powers, rather than going directly to a US Attorney reporting to Justice.

Here are some background summaries for you to start at, which contain additional links for further information:

• Sources, Timeline & Summary of the ATF "Project Gunwalker" scandal and the death of BP agent Brian Terry.
• Is ‘Project Gunwalker’ about to bust wide open?

Once you can guarantee their safety when our sources talk to you, you will have the opportunity to fully validate the reliability of their testimony and documentation for yourself.

Understand that representatives from major media are aware of this situation and we have let them know our sources want to open up under protection of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Here is what I am telling reporters asking about this:

--BEGIN MEDIA RESPONSE--

We have several media folks who have noticed this.  Here's where we are and what I can personally tell you without saying more than I should at this time:

Our guys are not in position to talk to the media yet, preferring to speak to a senator or congressman.  We're working on getting the story out that way, although if we don't get movement soon they'll probably have no choice but to reconsider a direct media route.

Here's a place to start--aside from the links in my latest. Mike Vanderboegh just released a timeline at:
http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2011/01/sources-timeline-summary-of-atf-project.html

Per Mike: "Urge them to use their own sources.  With the clues in the Timeline, they can easily track down some of these guys themselves."

One that he's referring to:

"(REDACTED) former attache to Mexico is an honest and honorable guy. He was forcefully removed from Mexico w o warning in Nov in large part because he wouldn't sit silent on these matters. He will tell the truth if asked by competent authority. He retired Dec 31 because of all this."

Again per Mike: "I believe that if we can get the Timeline and Summary out there, the Senators will fold by afternoon."

That's one way a reporter could expedite things.

Sorry to sound so evasive, but I'm not the one taking the really big risks here.

I will make sure our sources have your contact info. and let them know you're asking about this. If you have anything you'd like me to pass along to them, let me know and I will.

--END MEDIA RESPONSE--

But also understand that so far, attempts to generate interest among various senate and congressional staffers over the past few days has been a frustrating experience of evasiveness and deflection, and that also is being documented. There is far too much at stake for the brave people who are putting themselves on the line to let this continue. To do so is inexcusable.  That's why this is being sent to you as an open letter, published on the Internet to apprise the media and interested citizens of the efforts we are taking to bring this matter to light.

What do we tell our guys, Mr. Downey?  How can we get this process started where they can safely prove themselves to the Senate Judiciary Committee?

You can contact me at dcodreaAThotmailDOTcom [Phone # redacted in posted version] or Mike Vanderboegh at georgemason1776ATaolDOTcom [Phone # redacted in posted version]

Please advise by today, 5:00PM EST so we can pass that information along to our sources and let them know if they can disclose what they know under Committee protection, or if they need to consider other avenues of disclosure.

Sincerely,

David Codrea