Breaking story: Grassley & Issa catch Eric Holder with his cover-up underwear down around his ankles.

From a letter by Senator Grassley and Congressman Issa to Eric Holder released this morning:

We have recently learned that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has afforded potential witnesses for the Committee's investigation into Operation Fast and Furious access to a shared drive on its computer system replete with pertinent investigative documents, including ATF e-mails. Although our staff has been advised the Department has since terminated access to this document cache, we write to seek additional information relating to this egregious decision. We also ask that you promptly self-report this matter to the Office of Inspector General (OIG).

As we understand it, the shared drive contains the documents that have been produced to the Committees through the course of our investigation, those made available for in camera review and possibly documents that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has not yet provided to the Committee. These witnesses had not previously seen many of these documents.

Allowing witnesses access to such documents could taint their testimony by allowing them to tailor their responses to what they think the Committees already know. Additionally, witnesses who gain access to documents they have not previously seen could alter their recollection of events. This practice harms not only our investigation, but also the independent investigation that you instructed the Inspector General to conduct.

One witness who had access to these documents informed us of this questionable practice:

Q: What other documents have you gone through other than your emails?

A. A couple of the things that have been produced. They put a link on our computer, some kind of drive that I can click on and read things that have been produced. So I do that every once in a while, but not normally.

Q: And what is the purpose of that, to your knowledge?

A. Just to refresh my recollection about what is out there, you know.

Q: So you have a link on your computer so that you know what we have been provided by Justice?

A. Yes. There is a link in our computer for Gunrunner, Fast and Furious produced to Congress, and there is updates every once in a while of those documents that are being produced.

Link to PDF of the letter.

LATER: Dave Workman also reports I beat him by five minutes.