Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) on Wednesday grilled Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. on why more than 100 federal agents were needed to round up two dozen suspects accused of stealing Native American artifacts from public land. The day after last week's raids, one of the suspects, Dr. James Redd of Blanding in southern Utah, killed himself. Residents and officials in Blanding, where 16 suspects live, complained that authorities used unnecessary force to arrest nonviolent offenders. "They came in in full combat gear, SWAT team gear, like they were going after, you know, the worst drug dealers in the world," Hatch said, according to a transcript of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington. Then, alluding to Redd, he continued, "I have no problem with going after people who violate the law. But they came in there like they were the worst common criminals on earth. And in the process, this man, it became overwhelming to him, I suppose." Hatch's remarks came a day after Redd's funeral in Blanding drew more than 1,000 people. The Utah Republican also complained about how the operation was announced -- at a news conference in Salt Lake City featuring Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Deputy Atty. Gen. David Ogden. Hatch, noting that he had been in the Senate for 33 years, said: "I felt it was like a dog-and-pony show, to me, and I know one when I see it. And this has all the classic signs of one."...LATimes
This is from the Albq. Journal:
The attorney for longtime art dealer Forrest Fenn said Wednesday his client has done nothing illegal. Fenn's home at 1021 Old Santa Fe Trail was the subject of a federal search warrant executed June 10, in which some 20 federal agents descended on the house, looking for illegally obtained antiquities and records regarding their sale or purchase. Attorney Peter Schoenburg said the agents were armed, wore flak jackets and carried a battering ram. “They were prepared to knock down the door,” he said. “At (age) 78, Fenn let them in.” Vehicles in front of Fenn's home that day came from a number of federal agencies, including the FBI, the Bureau of Land Management and the Fish and Wildlife Department. Jones said the search of Fenn's home was part of the same case in which 24 people were indicted in a sweeping federal investigation into ancient artifacts stolen from public and tribal lands in the Southwest. The investigation originated in the bureau's Salt Lake City office and is being coordinated out of that office in conjunction with the BLM...
The R's were oh so quiet when under Bush similar tactics were used on ranchers Kit Laney and Wayne Hague.
Still, it's nice to see Hatch asking these questions. It's time the feds actions against western citizens receive scrutiny and are brought up for public debate.
The R's have complained the D's won't hold hearings on this issue. If they pushed hard enough I'll bet they could get the hearings. They also have the GAO, appropriations hearings and other vehicles they could use...if they want to.
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