Tuesday, November 15, 2011

SSI Exclusive: They knew. Everybody knew. This one email proves it.

11: 50AM Central Time --

NOTE: The original of this story ascribed the email below to Glenn Cook. Glenn Cook (Note two "n's") is the Deputy Chief of the Special Prosecutions unit of the Criminal Division, Department of Justice, Southern District of Texas in Houston.

The email was represented to me and other journalists as having been written by Glenn Cook. However, there is a Glen Cook (one "n") who is an ATF supervisor in El Paso. I am checking out which Cook wrote the below email, and will post a correction if necessary as soon as I find out.

If I have been skunked by disinformation on this one, I won't be the only one. And even if I am wrong, the central point remains true.

Mike
III


"They should probably hire a media expert anyway to assist them in explaining the 2000 firearms and the possible connection in the murder of the Border Patrol Agent." -- Glen Cook, 17 December 2010.
This story is based on a William LaJuenesse piece on FOX this afternoon which mentioned, but did not completely put into context, an email written two days after the murder of Brian Terry by Glen Cook. Once I found out of the email's existence, I checked my sources until I located one. I will say that I did not get it from anyone at FOX.

Let me begin by introducing Glenn W. Cook.

From the DOJ website:

This section consists of a group of some of the most experienced, seasoned and talented AUSAs in the office, charged with developing and prosecuting some of the district’s most sophisticated and high-profile cases in the areas of terrorism and national security, public corruption, export control and environmental crimes. Additionally, the section is often tasked to handle special projects and cases as selected by the United States Attorney.

AUSAs who handle Anti-Terrorism matters are a group of specialized prosecutors who work closely with federal, state and local law enforcement officers assigned to Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) located in Houston and McAllen. In an attempt to prevent the occurrence of terrorist activity in the SDTX and elsewhere, AUSAs assigned to this group investigate and prosecute individuals with known links to international and domestic terrorism. They also prosecute special interest aliens, alien smugglers and persons involved in the illegal and unlawful exportation of prohibited technology. Perpetrators of elaborate hoaxes who threaten innocent people with the use of weapons of mass destruction are also prosecuted by our AUSAs.

The Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council (ATAC) leverages the information it acquires from the Counter Terrorism Section at Main Justice, the JTTF and DHS to actively coordinate and disseminate information to ATAC partners made up of federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as representatives from private industry and critical infrastructure throughout the district. The ATAC holds regularly scheduled meetings that address the most current terroristic threats and concerns and members receive bi-weekly intelligence summaries and special bulletins. ATAC also provides training to its partners and sends prosecutors to universities and community organizations to make presentations on the USA PATRIOT Act and other Anti-Terrorism laws. This district’s ATAC has been recognized by Main Justice and other USAOs as a model to be used by ATACs around the country.

AUSAs assigned to handle Public Corruption cases are responsible for the investigation and prosecution of public officials, employees and others involved in activities constituting an abuse of public office or corrupt practices. The types of cases handled by these AUSAs include drug trafficking and alien smuggling by law enforcement officials, misuse of grant funds by the grantee, extortion and bribery.


Mr. Cook has handled all manner of sensitive cases in his area of operations, many of which are regularly reported up the chain of command to the Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division, Lanny Breuer.

Sources report that before the Terry murder in December 2010, ATF agents in El Paso -- in the Southern District of Texas, that is, in Glenn Cook's part of the world -- had made a seizure of weapons that turned out to have been from Operation Fast and Furious, then being run by David Voth and Hope MacAllister in Group VII in the Phoenix field division of ATF. This OCDETF task force was supervised by Assistant United States Attorney Emory Hurley.

Voth and MacAllister, backed by Hurley and the Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division William Newell, repeatedly refused to cooperate with the Texas agents working the case, thereby crippling their the case. Not surprisingly, Texas refused to take no for an answer and kicked the problem upstairs, to Mr. Cook.

Two days after the murder of Brian Terry, Charlie Smith, the ASAC of the Dallas Field Division forwarded the email from AUSA Cook to the senior ATF supervisor at the Phoenix ATF Field Division, Jim Needles.

Needles, you may recall, was present at the 11 March 2011 meeting with Lone Wolf Trading Company owner Andre Howard and his attorney, Larry Gaydos. From my story about that meeting:

There were a number of things that Howard and Gaydos knew going into this meeting, according to the sources. Howard knew that the two Kalashnikovs that had been found at the Terry murder scene traced back to his shop. He also knew that a "third gun" had been found at the scene, and that it was an SKS that traced back to Texas. These facts he knew from ATF agents directly after the Terry killing.

Yet, to a man, the DOJ and ATF participants in the meeting sought to reassure Howard and his attorney that none of the weapons found at the murder scene had come from Lone Wolf and, more incredibly, they maintained that all of the weapons that had come from Howard's gun shop had been interdicted before they went across the Mexican border.

Howard, the sources say, had previously been told that by Hurley and at this meeting that falsehood was backed up by Morrissey.

"They were in a complete state of factional denial," said one source, adding, "They kept insisting that everything Dodson and the other whistleblowers were saying were lies," and that "the real truth would come out in the trials of the straw buyers."

According to a source familiar with the recollections of the meeting by its participants, "There were people in that room, and not just Gaydos and Howard, who knew that . . . it was bullshit and completely ridiculous."

Notes taken by Tonya English, at least those turned over to the Oversight Committee, do not reflect those statements, however. Although English was reported to have taken "copious notes," according to one source, the notes turned over to the committee are said to be a mere list of meeting participants. This column attempted to contact Ms. English and other meeting participants by email about the discrepancy, but as of this writing they have not responded.

Where did the notes go? "I guess you'll have to ask English that," said the federal source. "It isn't the first document that disappeared in this investigation and it won't be the last."

Ironically, according to all the sources, AUSA Hurley, while denying the obvious, admitted an even more dangerous fact.

"Howard told the meeting that he knew there was a third gun found at the scene and that it had been traced," said one source, adding, "Hurley admitted that there was but said that neither it nor the AKs came from Lone Wolf so Howard didn't have anything to worry about."

Neither Howard nor Gaydos was that stupid. It was also in early March that Howard began taping ATF Group VII supervisor Hope MacAllister, tapes where MacAllister also admits that there was a third gun.

"I think Gaydos knew that DOJ was taking a completely untenable position," said one federal source. "Factually, it just was not credible."


When Needles received the forwarded email, he must have run, not walked, it to his immediate superiors, including Newell and Hurley.

Here is the text of the email. I will post the pdf link here when it is up later this evening.

From: Smith, Charles E.
Sent: Friday, December 17,2010 7:01 PM
To: Needles, James R.
Subject: FW:

FYI

Charlie Smith
ASAC
Dallas Field Division
(LARGE BLOCK REDACTED)

From: Cook, Glen W.
Sent: Friday, December 17, 2010 2:14 PM
To: Smith, Charles E.
Cc: Cook, Glen W.
Subject:

Charlie,

I advised AUSA Russ Leachman through SAs Steve Hall and Curtis Williams to provide me with a Grand Jury Subpoena for RAC David Roth and Holly in Phoenix to obtain the required evidence needed in our investigation here. AUSA Leachmnan has now advised the AUSA in Phoenix that the ATF agents here need access to the case in Phoenix since the ATF Phoenix office refuses to provide us with the evidence.

I wish that Leachman would have given those subpoenas to me but if the AUSA in Phoenix refuses to comply then maybe Phoenix should start preparing their explanations for the way that they conducted their straw purchase cases there. They should probably hire a media expert anyway to assist them in explaining the 2000 firearms and the possible connection in the murder of the Border Patrol Agent.

Thanks,

Glen


First of all, "David Roth and Holly in Phoenix" actually refer to David Voth and Hope MacAllister. Cook simply got it wrong. This is confirmed by a source of mine, who states:

"It is an email about Dave Voth and Hope MacAllister, after they had Newell call HQ and Dallas Field Division to have them stand down on following up on an El Paso seizure. The Dallas Field Division would have had the "cartel associates" that Phoenix claims as their success story over a year earlier."


Now, let's review. In order to compel the cooperation of Voth and MacAllister, Cook is threatening to have them subpoenaed by the grand jury! By forwarding this to Needles, Charlie Smith is giving Needles the heads up -- "Get off the track, the train's coming."

But it is this that is remarkable:

"(I)f the AUSA in Phoenix refuses to comply then maybe Phoenix should start preparing their explanations for the way that they conducted their straw purchase cases there. They should probably hire a media expert anyway to assist them in explaining the 2000 firearms and the possible connection in the murder of the Border Patrol Agent."

And Cook writes this off-handed threat to Phoenix only two days after the murder of Brian Terry! How does he know the number of weapons? How does he know that this stems from the way Phoenix "conducted their straw purchase cases"?

What, then, are we to conclude from this? Well, I'll tell you.

They knew.

EVERYBODY in ATF and DOJ along the border knew, and they knew it before the murder of Brian Terry, for it obviously is no surprise to the highly-placed AUSA Cook, and he doesn't mind using this common knowledge to achieve the desired result from Phoenix.

One more thing.

Sources tell me that in any dispute between DOJ AUSAs, there is a "deconfliction process" that is "written in stone." "All such disputes automatically get kicked upstairs," said one source, and "certainly would be known immediately to the head of the Criminal Division." Meaning, of course, Lanny Breuer. "Also, Holder would have been briefed about it," said the source.

One more thing to ask Breuer and Eric Holder about in the 8 December hearing.

If they're smart (and I don't consider them dumb), the committee investigators will have a subpoena ready for Glenn W. Cook as well.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Time for a Necktie Party.

We the people... said...

Smoking gun, anyone?

Mt Top Patriot said...

Mike,
Who do you think is going to spill the beans first?

I reckon Grassly and Issa have been slow walking the whole Gunwalker treason, it appears they have been letting out lots of rope. Along with the can of serious whoop-ass you and Dave have opened up on their sorry carcasses, the only thing faster and furiouser than the crimes these bums have and still are committing, is the lies and coverup.
After a while it just plain and simple like gets too complicated to remember all the lies and coverups!

There are so many dirty SOB's in this line up, there is bound to be somebody who going to be giving a serious think about their own hide.

Is it that grassly and Issa are setting the stage for when they have their ducks in a row and have a target(s) in their sights who they offer immunity for the straight skinny?

Never been involved in a conspiracy or any crime, never mind treason like this. But without doubt this truly is serious stuff we are talking here.
Must be some folks pretty worried about the consequences and thinking how to come out of this disaster with their hide.

Shit rolls down hill. You think somebody has to be aware being thrown under the bus to save the king pins like obama, hillary and holder is standard operating procedure.
Make one wonder who has some back up documentation stashed away for a rainy day.

Anonymous said...

Can someone please get this info to the Terry family? They can get their lawyer to subpoena Glen W Cook too (maybe?)

Anonymous said...

Of course they knew. The tracks go all the way to the white house, only there is no interest in publicizing the width and breath of these disclosures. This is because the people involved at higher levels are dedicated statists if and when you aren't actually dealing with a full blown but covert Marxist. Neither one has any regard for the bill of rights or constitution as they carve up the aforementioned documents to suit themselves, with the help of friendly courts, I might add.

As the leftist observer said viewing an overflight of F-16s during the Clinton administration"...Oh, those are ours, now..."

Does that rattle the cans enough for you?

Scott J said...

You forgot:

TORPEDO LOS!

Anonymous said...

"EVERYBODY in ATF and DOJ along the border knew, and they knew it before the murder of Brian Terry, for it obviously is no surprise to the highly-placed AUSA Cook, and he doesn't mind using this common knowledge to achieve the desired result from Phoenix."

If "everybody" knew, how is it possible that the cover-up bas been so successful? Why is it tbat no one has pointed out the elephant in the living room?!

MALTHUS

Dedicated_Dad said...

I have a feeling that this little thread will be the one that unravels the whole shebang!

It sure is hard to argue that those above didn't know when it is clearly common knowledge -- not only at ground-level, but on the floors above as well!

Given these facts, anyone in the penthouse who claims ignorance is either utterly dishonest or utterly incompetent. There can really be no other conclusion!

Longbow said...

Quote fro Malthus:

"If "everybody" knew, how is it possible that the cover-up bas been so successful? Why is it that no one has pointed out the elephant in the living room?!"

Answer: Are we ready to give up the MYTH of the "really good guy" who "just wants to do the right thing"?

Dozens, if not hundreds, of people in DOJ know the truth of F&F (or parts of it). Yet, only half a handful have come forward to speak it.

Just as an example, think back to Waco for a moment. Seventy-five agents attacked the Davidians in their home on a Sunday morning. Twice that many knew the details of the operation. After the gun fight, ATF HQ told the field to "stop the shooting review" because the shooting review process was "creating Brady material...". Dozens of agents knew the truth. Hundreds of people in the chain of command knew the truth. No one spoke it.

The FBI later finished the job. Dead men tell no tales. Hundreds of people, including field agents, Hostage Roasting Team members, and others in the DOJ knew the truth. Not one spoke it.

They expected the public to believe the Lie because the truth was too horrible to contemplate.

After Oklahoma City, any one of those "really good guys" could have come forward and said, "Wait! The truth is being buried! There is much more to this!" Not one came out and spoke the truth.

9/11? Hell, never-mind...

Will we continue to cling religiously the mythical image of Dudley Do-Right? I gave up that illusion many years ago. Fed-Goons know where their bread is buttered. They get paid to target who they are told to target, make cases and get convictions. Doing what is inherently right is not on the agenda. The objective truth is irrelevant. Their Constitutional oath is just so many words.

Whether they realize it or not, they are defining themselves.

CowboyDan said...

I'm sure there are a lot of anal sphincters at DOJ, DHS, State, and elsewhere malfunctioning at the moment. Which do you suppose they need most, Ex-Lax or Immodium?

Should we send them care packages? Maybe we should send both Ex-Lax & Immodium, since we don't know the exact nature of their distress.

I wonder how they'll do in Mexico once they get there. Maybe they'll find their ways south unaware of their destinations. Surely someone can learn what they like, and provide a pretty boy or girl or whatever as a lure to get them into a car, and then?

Since rot goes all the way to the top everywhere, not just in the U.S., do you suppose the Mexicans will let them live to go to court, or?

Is there a Vegas line on this yet?

Anonymous said...

Is it "Glenn" or "Glen". Your post refers to two-N Glenn, the guy's email is a one-N Glen. You may want to verify and clean that up.

Anonymous said...

Of some note:

What is clear here with all this real info via e-mails, letters and minutes of meetings is that they all knew of this hand off of killing guns to the cartels of Mexico.

Now think a bit, this is the stuff known about via these means and the whistle blowers info.

These men and women of great evil at the top of the thug Democrat Party have no brakes. The treason and evil they do off the record is much more evil than even this Fast and Furious thugery.

We have to understand and know that they are smart enough and evil enough to have programs on going that are voice only.
No records at all.
In nam under Gen. Walt we called these deals "OOOs" "triple O's" Oral Orders Only.

Anonymous said...

Before everybody starts hyperventilating, now would be a really, really good moment to remind our friends and ourselves that the most dangerous creature is the world is a wounded animal.

You can be right - and dead right. Now is not the time to loosen a grip on the reptiles' head just because you think it's beat.

Be alert. It ain't even close to being over. Everyone expects that nasty surprise that comes at the end of the horror movie. The reason script-writers keep writing it in is simple.

It still works.

CSA Vet, 22 VA

Anonymous said...

Don't believe Cook got their names wrong. David Roth, as in David "Lee" Roth. And Holly, not real sure but possibly Holly "Hunter". A rockstar and an actress, seems to me that Cook was being a touch derisive of Voth and McAllister.

Anonymous said...

Now all we need are pictures of Needles from Back To The Future LOL

http://backtothefuture.wikia.com/wiki/Douglas_J._Needles

Anonymous said...

Know? Of course they knew! Take it one step further. Some of them were probably hoping it would happen. A border patrol agent murdered with an American gun wielded by a drug smuggler from Mexico? Assault Weapon Ban here we come!

What they didn't count on was somebody blowing the cover on HOW that gun got into the hands of the Mexican cartels. And that made all the difference.

cruiser said...

I have a question. Right now there is mounting pressure for Holder to quit. Will the committees or a special prosecuter still go after him if he does? Is he still legally accessible and will they go after him criminally?

J. Croft said...

" Anonymous said...
Before everybody starts hyperventilating, now would be a really, really good moment to remind our friends and ourselves that the most dangerous creature is the world is a wounded animal."

I'll second that. If it looks like there's going to be bona fide indictments heading toward Hillary Clinton or Obama, expect them to pull crap that makes Operation Gunwalker and it's inbred ilk look like a classroom prank.

Basically the first wind of indictments against Clinton/Obama should be treated as a DEFCON 2 situation... 1 being actual shooting. Have safe houses and caches sorted out, and NETWORK!

I'd say we're at DEFCON 3 now...

rdf67 said...

Here is my list of people who should no longer be on the federal payroll and could be indicted under a broad brush for Fast and Furious, with Numero Uno Eric Holder thanks to e-mails, whistleblower testimony, and other evidence:

•Asst Atty-General Lanny Breuer, •Chief of Staff Ohlson,
•former Deputy AG David Ogden,
•Acting Dep Dir AG Gary Grindler,
•Acting Dep Director AG James Cole,
•DOJ AUSA James Trusty
•DOJ AUSA Jason Weinstein
•DOJ AUSA Glenn W Cook
•DOJ AUSA Russ Leachman
•SA Steve Hall
•SA Curtis Williams
•ASAC Charles Smith
•Dir Michael Walther Natl Drug Intel Ctr,
•former Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg,
•former Acting Director of the ATF Kenneth Melson,
•Director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys Marshall Jarrett,
•Assistant Secretary of ICE at Homeland Security John Morton,
•NSC Latin America Dan Restrepo (If not the author of GunWalker – would know who is)
•Director, North American Affairs, WH Staff, Kevin O’Reilly, (personal friend of Bill Newell)
•NSC Gregory Gatjanis (Works with Restrepo and O’Reilly)
•NSC Sarah Kendall
•ATF Phoenix Field Division Special Agent in Charge Bill Newell (Perjury - “We did not walk guns”)
•ATF Phoenix Field Division Special Agent in Charge Hoover (Complicit)
•ATF Deputy Asst for Intel Steve Martin
•ATF Phoenix Field Division Special Agent Hope MacAllister (Complicit)
•ATF Phoenix Field Division Special Agent Tonya English (Obstruction of Justice)
•ATF Deputy Asst Director William McMahon (Complicit)
•ATF Phoenix Field Division Special Agent George Gillett (Complicit)
•ATF Phoenix Group VII Supervisor David Voth ( Complicit - “This is the last tool in the toolbox” – a quote used by Napolitano)
•ATF Asst Special Agent in Charge Phoenix Jim Needles
•DOJ AUSA Joe Cooley
•SW Border Czar Ray Rowley
•ATF Phoenix Asst Director Mark Chait,
•ATF Phoenix Asst Director James McDermond,
•Intl Affairs Chief Daniel Kumor
•former U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona Dennis Burke,
•Assistant U.S. Attorney Morrisey,
•former Asst U.S. Attorney Hurley,
•DOJ Press Secy Tracy Schmaler
•WH Staffer Eric Schultz
•DOJ AAG Ronald Weich
•Janet Napolitano
•Hillary Clinton

Anybody see people missing?

What is amazing is the fact these well educated lawyers (I doubt too many are not other than ATF staff) ignored law breaking and went with the flow driven by anti-gun hatred. They will never admit they weren't acting in the best interest of the country as Mexicans were murdered. Terry's murder creates "accessories" and "involuntary manslaughter" for those who could have acted early on to put a stop to such nonsense.

My son was in intel and he tells me that he read every memo and knew about programs he can't tell me about. He does not believe that the memos to Holder went unread and undiscussed - that is why they are written.

Anonymous said...

I was at the Brian Terry memorial dinner in Scottsdale, and the host, ATF agents Jay Dobbins said that the Whistleblowers have been getting their asses handed to them by ATF and DOJ, yet I also heard that the case agents and the bosses involved in this have gotten off scot free so far. That's pretty disgusting, but I guess business as usual in the U.S. Department of Injustice.

otterhauser said...

The email itself, printed on David Codrea's Gun Examiner site on Nov. 16th shows the spelling to be GLEN Cook...ONE "N". There is no title following the name, no job designation, etc so the confusion is easy to come by. Here's the link info.

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-national/they-knew-video

L.N.D. said...

Obviosly a lot of people new a lot from the beginning. Some were against it, but kept quiet for fear of reprisal. Now they fear they'll be charged with their crimes. Unless someone in the right position is guarenteed amnesty, don't expect anyone to step forward. It's hard to believe that no one but the DOJ would have copies of all this evidence, and now it's sealed. I'd bet congress still has records of testimony ECT. How about News releases? It'll be a dark day if the administration gets nailed for this, and a darker day yet if they get away with it.