By Sharyl Attkisson - September 19, 2011 5:17 PM
WASHINGTON - "Watch your back," the gun dealer warns the ATF Agent in an audio recording obtained by CBS News.
The secretly recorded conversations are between the primary gun dealer cooperating with ATF in its "Fast and Furious" operation, Andre Howard, and lead case ATF agent Hope MacAllister.
Howard owns Lone Wolf Trading Company in Glendale, Arizona.
As CBS News first reported last February, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allegedly allowed thousands of weapons to "walk" onto the streets without interdiction into the hands of suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels in its operation "Fast and Furious."
In the following audio excerpts, the gun dealer Howard and ATF Agent MacAllister discuss possible involvement in the investigation into Fast and Furious by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). They also mention Attorney General Eric Holder.
EXCERPT 1
Dealer: Question: do your people have any confidence that you can forestall subpoena? Or is it still up in the air?
Agent: No, my understanding is person, the only people that can request a congressional hearing has to be a majority party. Grassley is a Republican.
Dealer: I know.
Agent: And as of right now...
Dealer: In the Senate right.
Agent: Yeh. And as of right now we don't have any interest from anybody in the majority party to the extent that he's shown interest. So even if you wanted to at this point unless he gets CUTS OUT somebody from the majority party to jump on board, he can't...
Dealer: Not on his own no but you know Leahy and rest of 'em these people are snakes, they'll do anything they can...
Agent: My understanding also is that the Attorney General's office is supposed to come out little bit stronger...um...
Dealer: I understand that.
Agent: position...which may or may not, um, you know, help.
Dealer: I'll tell you what I'll give him that, he's got f---ing b---s making that statement. I don't wanna even go there.
EXCERPT 2
Dealer: Until something else happens they're not stupid, Hope, they connect the dots.
Agent: No and you know and all that's fine if Senator Grassley wants to come in and tell us show us how to work these cases more efficiently more effectively by all means.
Dealer: Don't think Grassley, think Leahy.
Agent: Well, him too. I... I welcome him to come down and work...
Dealer: He's an arrogant b-----d
Agent: So is Grassley though
Dealer: Chuck probably and I don't know a thing about him other than from somebody else I've heard seems to be just somebody who's hitching his wagon to any star to.. for his own aggrandizement.
Agent: Yeh
Dealer: You know that. He's an arrogant
Agent: Yeh
Dealer: individual. Look he's a United States senator there it is right there.
EXCERPT 3
Agent: That's kind of what my suggestion but nobody thought that was funny like if I were a P.I. I'd put him on Grassley, I'm sure there's a lot would go away. Actually my one suggestion was just tell him in a registered Republican. I'm sure if he knew that everything would be fine, they didn't like that either.
Dealer: Well.
Agent: Alright.
Dealer: You gotta be, watch your back. I don't trust these people around you one bit. You've been very lucky so far.
Agent: Again I'll be more than happy to talk to somebody, they won't let me, but more than happy to talk to anybody about the decisions we made.
Dealer: Hope, stay off the screen. You don' t need this sh--. Neither does your husband.
Agent: Believe me I have...
Dealer: You gotta have a f-----g life man.
Agent: I have a file and...
Dealer: shhh
Agent: It's all, it's all public stuff I dont' care.
Dealer: Well don't even convey it in that. I'm sure you do. Hopefully this thing will subside...
Agent: You keep saying that but ?
Dealer: I know.
Dealer: You and I both know how bad it's gonna get I won't bull---t you you don't bull---t me
Agent: Ha ha.
Dealer: my a-- is up here and yours is here here but you're covered I'm out in the open
Agent: Ha ha.
Dealer: God.
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