Washington AG aims vulgarity at critics

WASHINGTON (AP) - Newly released emails show Attorney General Eric Holder said that Justice Department prosecutors who were critical of the department's handling of the fallout of the Fast and Furious gun-walking scandal could "kiss my ass." Fast and Furious was a botched effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to track firearms across the Southwest border. Revelations about it created a political firestorm, leading to congressional investigations and turnover within the ATF and Justice Department. The Justice Department provided a batch of emails to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The Associated Press obtained the emails on Friday. In one email from August 2011, Holder was told by staff that a group of U.S. attorneys was upset that the resignation of Dennis Burke, then the U.S. attorney in Arizona, was announced simultaneously with the reassignment of ATF Acting Director Ken Melson. Holder replied, "Some people can kiss my ass." Published: Tue, Nov 11, 2014