Grassley says emails suggest ATF blocking Senate gun probe

[Geee]

Washington Times:

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s ranking Republican, who has questioned whether the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allowed suspected gun smugglers to purchase assault rifles that later may have been used in the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent, wants to know if ATF has ordered its agents not to cooperate in his investigation of the shooting.

In a letter Friday to ATF Acting Director Kenneth E. Melson, Sen. Charles E. Grassley said emails obtained through the Freedom of Information Act “appear to contain proposed guidance” on how to respond to questions from the senator’s office, including instructions that agents were “in no way obligated to respond” and should refer inquiries in the matter to ATF’s office of congressional affairs.

The Iowa Republican described the emails as “further attempts to prevent direct communications with my office” by telling agents they were “not authorized to disclose non-public information.

“It is of grave concern because, as you know, such attempts to prevent direct communications with Congress are not a lawfully authorized activity of any officer or employee of the United States whose salary is paid with appropriated funds,” he wrote.