Ron this week uncovered a major problem with the federal investigation into the San Bernardino terrorist attack. And in case you forgot, that’s in stark contrast to Senator Feingold – who in his 18 years in Washington was one of just a few senators to vote against a law meant to help prevent these kinds of tragedies.
A total breakdown in cooperation between federal agencies appears to have complicated the hunt for a suspected accomplice in December’s San Bernardino terrorist attacks.
Accounts of the turf war between the agencies were unveiled Tuesday at a U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing examining the security of U.S. visa programs and the implications on national security.
The hearing was led by committee chairman Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin.
Committee members learned that FBI agents alerted Homeland Security Investigationsagents that Enrique Marquez, the man accused of supplying the assault rifles that Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, used in carrying out the Dec. 2 attacks on a San Bernardino social service center office Christmas party.
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“How can you explain that they would not let Homeland Security agents in the building when they are saying, ‘Listen, you could have a potential terrorist here involved in what just happened yesterday in the slaughter of 14 Americans?’” a stunned-sounding Johnson asked León Rodríguez, director of Citizenship and Immigration Services. “And they don’t even allow them in the office? How could that have possibly happened?”
A Senate chairman who Tuesday revealed inside information on how a Homeland Security turf war delayed the probe into the San Bernardino terror attacks in December on Wednesday said the department has launched a witch hunt for the tipster with plans to retaliate.
“I’m very concerned that ICE is seeking out those individuals in order to retaliate or otherwise punish them for providing information to Congress,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, the Wisconsin Republican who heads the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
“I want to make it very clear today,” he said, “that our committee will be monitoring this situation very carefully.”
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At a Tuesday hearing, Johnson revealed a bureaucratic turf war between two federal immigration agencies delayed the investigation into the attacks the day after 14 were killed by two ISIS disciples.
Quoting a federal insider, Johnson said that armed police from one agency were blocked by another in their effort to seize a friend of killers Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik who allegedly supplied them guns and helped in the plot.
On Wednesday he warned the administration to keep its hands off his tipster. “The federal government has a very poor record or retaliation,” said Johnson. “It is really quite shocking how often the federal government retaliates and I certainly won’t stand for it and this committee won’t stand for any retribution for those who had the courage to come forward.”