Rumor has it that Kenneth Melson, acting director of the ATF, will be removed from office amid the political fallout from Project Gunrunner. Apparently, Andrew Traver is flying to Washington for a meeting with Eric Holder and Deputy Attorney General James Cole next week.
The administration tried to get Traver nominated to fill the position of Director late last year, but failed. The office has been vacant since Truscott’s resignation in 2006, and the Senate has been unwilling to confirm anyone as a replacement.
Installing Traver is a way of getting him close to the top without the pesky confirmation process, but it’s also a tacit admission of guilt. They wouldn’t be throwing Melson out (and failing to promote from within) unless they felt that the information showing up in the Congressional hearings was something truly worth worrying about.
If that’s the case, let’s hope it doesn’t end with one scapegoat.