ATF blocks ‘Fast and Furious’ book
The ATF agent who blew the whistle on “Fast and Furious” said Tuesday that it’s “absurd” that the agency is blocking his book on the operation by claiming it would harm morale.
Special Agent John Dodson appeared on CNN’s “New Day” to defend his book, the day after the American Civil Liberties Union wrote a letter to the ATF on his behalf urging it to reconsider their decision to bar its publication.
Dodson, the first agent who brought attention to the ATF’s failed gun-walking operation, submitted a manuscript of his book to the agency for review but was told he could not publish it under the agency’s right to refuse outside employment, including requests to speak, write or teach, for “any reason,” according to the ACLU.
“This would have a negative impact on morale in the Phoenix FD and would have a detremental effect [sic] on our relationships with DEA and FBI,” the agency’s response reportedly said.
Dodson rejected that claim on Tuesday.
“To put that blame on the book or the manuscript to me is absurd, when it’s the actions, it was the program, it was what we did to cause that damage,” Dodson said. “In the right context, the book and everything else could be used to help rebuild that, but ATF refuses to do so. They’d still rather … try to pretend like it never happened and hope that you and all your viewers out there will forget about it.”
The ACLU on Monday sent ATF a letter criticizing the agency for a lack of transparency in its decision making and for suppressing Dodson’s free-speech rights.
A spokesman for ATF told POLITICO that its rejection of the book, however, has nothing to do with free speech rights and is simply a matter of federal policy. He pointed to Department of Justice regulations that state: “A subject is prohibited from writing about issues that arise from his or her duties as a special agent and profiting from his or her experiences while still acting in the special agent capacity.”
“This is not about first amendment rights, it’s about a current employee trying to profit from information gained as an employee,” ATF spokesman Mike Campbell told POLITICO.
He said the supervisor’s comments in the letter sent to Dodson about damaged relationships were not part of agency’s decision.
As for whether Dodson can publish the book for free, Campbell said the manuscript was still under review by ATF and other agencies mentioned in the book for any information that shouldn’t be released.
With the shutdown and agency furloughs, Campbell did not have a timeline on when that review would be completed.
Dodson said on CNN he had thought about waiting until he retires to publish the book, but he is motivated by a desire to bring the operation to the attention of the public, to answer the questions of the family of the agent whose murder brought the operation to light and to serve as an example for anyone else in a similar situation who might want to blow the whistle.
He said the book contains information that has not yet been made public and goes in depth in a way that will make the whole scandal more comprehensible for the public.
Dodson’s book, “The Unarmed Truth,” is set for release by Simon & Schuster in January. Dodson says it will come out with or without permission, Fox News reported.