Holder Retracts Gunwalking Accusation Against Former Bush AG

Last week Attorney General Eric Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee President Bush’s Attorney General Michael Mukasey knew of gunwalking, the tactics used in the ATF’s Operation Fast and Furious, which led to the death of a Border Patrol agent and several hundred Mexican civilians.

“An attorney general who I suppose you would hold in higher regard was briefed on these kinds of tactics in an operation called Wide Receiver and did nothing to stop them — nothing,” said Mr. Holder. “Three hundred guns, at least, walked in that instance.”

Senator Charles Grassley asked Mr. Holder to provide evidence for that. He pointed out that is a serious charge. After the hearing, he wrote a letter demanding Mr. Holder either provide evidence or give Mr. Mukasey an apology.

“If he can’t produce evidence that Attorney General Mukasey was briefed on Wide Receiver, then he owes Mr. Mukasey an apology,” Senator Grassley said. “It appears to be an effort to shift blame away from himself, but I’m willing to hear his explanation.”

There is not any evidence, and Mr. Holder and the DOJ have retracted their statement.

This isn’t the first time this has happened. The DOJ had to retract their February 4, 2011 letter to Senator Grassley which claimed no gunwalking took place in Operation Fast and Furious. That was proven false, and the letter was retracted later in the fall.