Wednesday during a speech at Knox College in Illinois, President Obama referred to the many scandals surrounding his White House as "phony." Obama's comments came just hours after White House Press Secretary Jay Carney referred to the scandals as phony on MSNBC and said Republicans have gone too far in their efforts to investigate them.
"With an endless parade of distractions, political posturing and phony scandals, Washington has taken its eye off the ball," Obama said.
In response to the comments, the family of murdered Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry is reminding President Obama that the hundreds of deaths linked to Operation Fast and Furious are far from phony. Guns trafficked during the operation were found at Terry's murder scene in December 2010.
“These deaths are real. My son’s death was real. I am outraged that President Obama is talking about phony scandals when he knows all too well that my son was a victim of Operation Fast and Furious that was authorized by members of his Justice Department and a U.S. Attorney that he appointed. Operation Fast and Furious was all too real for me and my family, and it directly contributed to my son’s murder,” Josephine Terry, the mother of Brian Terry said in a statement. “Mr. President, come to Michigan and I will show you my son’s grave...then let’s have a conversation about your definition of phony scandals.”
The Terry family has been begging for answers and accountability from the Department of Justice for years. They have received deception and lies in return.
“The entire Terry family has experienced a level of ‘trust deficit’ in their government and its leaders since Brian was killed. It hurts to be treated like this and just adds insult to injury when the President speaks of phony scandals and minimizes the efforts of those officials tasked to investigate these matters,” Brian’s uncle and President of the Brian Terry Foundation Ralph Terry said in a statement.
Just last week, Senator Chuck Grassley sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder about his Department's failure to inform his office of new deaths linked to Operation Fast and Furious. The inquiry came after news broke that a Mexican police chief was killed with Fast and Furious weapons. Since Fast and Furious began in September 2009, hundreds of Mexican citizens have been killed. Terry was killed while on duty just days before Christmas. President Obama asserted executive privilege over Fast and Furious documents in June 2012 minutes before Attorney General Eric Holder was voted in contempt by the House Oversight Committee.