I used to say the ATFEIEIO was incompetent and this was apparent because of the actions of their firearms division. I was wrong; it's not just their firearms division that behaves irresponsibly:
"Government agents acting without authorization conducted dozens of undercover investigations of illegal tobacco sales, misused some of $162 million in profits from the stings and lost track of at least 420 million cigarettes, the Justice Department's inspector general said Wednesday.
In one case, agents for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sold $15 million in cigarettes and later turned over $4.9 million in profits from the sales to a confidential informant — even though the agency did not properly account for the transaction."
One snitch the ATF paid off walked away with $4.9 million. The revenuers with delusions of grandeur defended that expenditure by saying it was needed to cover said snitch's expenses. On the one hand I'd be glad if ratting out folks not involved in violent crime was that expensive, but somehow I doubt an itemization would leave anyone thinking that legitimacy was an apt description of the pay-out.
So the next time you see a story like this one (h/t David Hardy) don't think that their ineptitude is limited to firearms matters; they're just generally inept.
Posted by Publicola at September 27, 2013 08:22 PM | TrackBack