In the News

By John Diedrich 

 

It's not often, or maybe ever, that the Republican from Menomonee Falls and Milwaukee Democrat agreed on something.

 

On Wednesday, Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner and Gwen Moore were both calling for answers to the foul-ups in the ATF undercover sting in Milwaukee. An ATF agent's machine gun ended up on the streets of Milwaukee. Burglars ripped the ATF of $35,000 in merchandise. Agents left a sensitive document behind. And in at least three cases they charged the wrong person.

 

Here is what they had to say, in full:

 

Rep. Gwen Moore:

 

“While I believe the A.T.F.’s program to reduce violent crime in Milwaukee and other cities was well-intentioned, it is clear that it was not properly implemented or executed – resulting in a failed operation.

 

“With the recent gun violence that has plagued our country’s communities - from Newtown to Chicago to Milwaukee – it is apparent that programs like these are necessary to curb violence. But in our efforts to combat this violence, we must be careful not to make an already volatile situation worse.

 

“This is further evidence of how critical it is that the Senate confirm a permanent Director for the A.T.F. so that the Agency can begin to put in place more concrete protocols for operations like this to ensure they obtain the desired results – which are fewer illegal guns on our streets and ultimately safer neighborhoods for our families and especially our children.”

 

Washington, DC – Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), chair of the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations issued this statement in response to news today of a botched U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) sting operation in Milwaukee:

 

“News of the botched ATF Milwaukee operation is extremely concerning. The Obama Administration wants to pass new gun laws and give new responsibilities to the ATF, but the agency has been inept at enforcing the laws that we already have. This is an agency that has been caught selling guns to crooks across the border.  Giving them more responsibility is like promoting someone who can’t do the job. I will be investigating the ATF’s actions and mistakes because this type of mismanagement is not acceptable. Wisconsinites deserve answers, and I am not going to wait until we have another Fast and Furious-like situation to find them.”

 

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis) added this:

 

“My office was contacted several weeks ago by a property owner who has apparently been victimized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The ATF leased his property under false pretenses, and did thousands of dollars of damage. The Agency now refuses to pay – and instead is threatening him. My office contacted the Department of Justice on January 11 to get this addressed, and I look forward to a prompt reply.

 

“The ATF has placed dangerous weapons into the hands of criminals in Milwaukee – including a fully automatic military rifle. And all this happened while the Agency is being managed by President Obama’s nominee to run the Agency going forward. This is hardly the first time the ATF has botched an operation like this. At best this is reckless - and it cannot be allowed to continue.”