Judicial Watch: Fast and Furious AK-47 Used in Phoenix Assault

Government watchdog Judicial Watch said Thursday documents it obtained show an AK-47 rifle used in a gang-style assault in Phoenix last year was part of the Department of Justice’s botched Fast and Furious gunrunning operation.

In a statement, the group noted Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley and California Republican Rep. Darryl Issa wrote to Deputy Attorney General James Cole, blasting the department for not providing Congress or the public with any information about the weapon.

Grassley is the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, while Issa is the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

“Based on the serial number [1977DX1654] from the police report obtained by Judicial
Watch and documents obtained during our Fast and Furious investigation, we can
confirm that the assault rifle recovered in the vehicle on July 30, 2013, was purchased by
Sean Christopher Stewart,” the lawmakers wrote.

During the controversial operation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms allowed weapons from the United States to pass into the hands of gun smugglers so they could be traced to Mexican drug cartels. But instead, the release triggered violence that could be traced back to those weapons, critics charge.

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