How did Sen. Feinstein get ATF Trace Data in Violation of Tiahrt Amendment?

[sassedbygov]

Persons within the Department of Justice whose identities are not yet publicly known apparently broke the law by leaking firearms trace data to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, which she introduced in the Senate Judiciary Committee record in the hearing on Department of Justice oversight earlier this month.

“If I may,” Senator Feinstein requested at the beginning of her questioning of Attorney General Eric Holder (see webcast, at the 69:45 mark), I'd like to put in the record the official firearms trace data from the Department of Justice from 12/1/2006 to 2000...excuse me, 9/30/2011...this is guns [unintelligible] Mexico.”

Left unchallenged and unsaid is how Feinstein obtained the data, which is prohibited by the Tiahrt Amendment from being shared with anyone but law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, and only then in the course of a criminal investigation. That prohibition extends even to Senator Feinstein, as evidenced by the failed attempt earlier this year by Rep. Adam Schiff “to allow Congressional committees to be included on the list of entities to which the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms can disclose part or all of the contents of the Firearms Trace System database.”

While there is no reliable evidence that Sen. Feinstein knew she was improperly disclosing data she had been provided, a Senator so active in promulgating new gun laws not knowing existing ones is the most innocuous explanation if she did not. If that’s the case, it strongly implies someone at Justice used the Senator.

Per an anonymous congressional source:

It was Main Justice, not ATF, who leaked the trace data to Feinstein. I am told ATF “was blindsided” by it.
The trace data did not include any Tiahrt nondisclosure warnings.
The information was leaked to provide selective "statistics" that Feinstein could use to promote her views on gun trafficking—no criminal intelligence interpretation was provided, and the way this was done was intentional, with cognizance that the data were going to be misused.

Fair questions to follow up with: Who at Main Justice illegally leaked the data to Sen. Feinstein and did she knowingly abet a violation of the law in order to advance her agenda?

And will Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Darrell Issa follow up on this in their investigations?


David Codrea, Gun Rights Examiner
November 28, 2011

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-national/how-did-sen-feinstein-get-atf-gun-trace-data-violation-of-tiahrt-amendment

Please forward on as you see fit... Bravo

[fuhr52]

Doesn't matter to the left how they get information to push their agendas. Their good intentions is all that matters. She will not be challenged by the main stream media. She is a democrat and a long time senetor. She is off limits and above the law.

[BC1]

If the data she obtained is regarding firearms that were involved in fast-n-furious it would be legal. Investigators can get information on firearms used in a crime but are not allowed to obtain aggregate data. As long as a legitimate investigation is under way and the data is requested by the proper law enforcement agency the ATF provides the data. This data becomes part of the investigative record and is available to anyone involved in the investigation.

[longslide10]

She blew somebody

[JimPage]

Is Feinstein a legitimate investigator? I don't think Congress Critters are law enforcement agents.

[BC1]

Is Feinstein a legitimate investigator? I don't think Congress Critters are law enforcement agents.

She's on the investigative panel, thus the right to see the evidence. The panel should determine whether charges need be brought.

[sassedbygov]

Feinstein is not law enforcement or prosecution. This is not a individual criminal case. The law is very clear.

{That prohibition extends even to Senator Feinstein, as evidenced by the failed attempt earlier this year by Rep. Adam Schiff “to allow Congressional committees to be included on the list of entities to which the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms can disclose part or all of the contents of the Firearms Trace System database.**

Her knowledge of this data was obtained illegally. If she can obtain it, so can the NY Times

[BC1]

Feinstein is not law enforcement or prosecution. This is not a individual criminal case. The law is very clear.

{That prohibition extends even to Senator Feinstein, as evidenced by the failed attempt earlier this year by Rep. Adam Schiff “to allow Congressional committees to be included on the list of entities to which the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms can disclose part or all of the contents of the Firearms Trace System database.**

Her knowledge of this data was obtained illegally. If she can obtain it, so can the NY Times

This is not a criminal case... yet. She is not prosecuting anyone. She's part of an INVESTIGATIVE arm of our legislature examing facts to determine if there is enough to warrant a prosecution. This is much different than allowing Congressional committees to obtain data. You're talking about an entirely different set of circumstances. Congressional committees were seeking AGGREGATE data, not related to any specific crime but rather to ALL firearm sales. This was the exact same data that Michael Bloomberg and his mayor's coalition wanted and couldn't get. Data related to any crime or investigation as to whether a crime was committed is legally obtained regularly by law enforcement agencies. When a gun is involved in a crime an investigative body, even a grand jury, can be provided the detail pursuant to the specific guns involved.

[Grognard Gunny]

Is Feinstein a legitimate investigator? I don't think Congress Critters are law enforcement agents.

No, they just "play one" on c-span.

GG