(Image source: U.S. Department of Justice)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY


You're watching multisource politics video news analysis from Newsy. 

New documents directly contradict Attorney General Eric Holder’s Congressional testimony about the controversial federal Fast and Furious program. Now the head of the House Judiciary Committee is calling for an independent investigation of Holder.

A little background: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - or ATF - oversaw a gun-tracking operation that involved the sale of thousands of firearms. The weapons went to known straw purchases with the intent to track where they were going.

Problem was, the ATF lost track of many of those weapons, and at least three guns were linked to the murder of a US border patrol agent. Here’s what Attorney General Eric Holder told a Congressional committee earlier this year.

HOLDER: “I'm not sure of the exact date but I probably heard about fast and furious for the first time over the last few weeks.” (CBS)

But as KOLD reports, there’s evidence to suggest the contrary.

“New documents show attorney general Eric Holder was sent multiple memos on the controversial fast and furious operation as far back as July of last year. …Internal Justice Department documents show that Holder began getting those memos at least ten months before. The Justice department says Holder misunderstood the committee.”

According to The Hill, some of those memos were very specific in referencing the operation. Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer told Holder an indictment against suspected gun traffickers would stay sealed until another Fast and Furious investigation.

Author J. Christian Adams - who used to work for the Justice Department - tells Fox News - this is a big deal, but he isn’t surprised.

“Look, this problem is getting worse for them. People died, Americans died in this problem. and you need to understand, this attorney general and this justice department had a serious disconnect with the truth. Just like the new black panther Case, in Fast and Furious, they're telling the media, they're telling congress things that don't square with reality.”

Holder’s comments have sparked calls for investigation -- the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee -- Republican Lamar Smith of Texas sent a letter to President Barack Obama. According to CNN, he wrote:

“Allegations that senior Justice Department officials may have intentionally misled Members of Congress are extremely troubling and must be addressed by an independent and objective special counsel."

But Department of Justice officials say the gun operation referenced in those memos was a DIFFERENT gun-tracking case. And -- that Holder probably gets lots of memos that he simply doesn’t have time to read.


Transcript by Newsy.