CNN 2012-07-16

 Hey, I’m Anderson Cooper. Welcome to the podcast in the 360 exclusive. The mother of a slain¹ Border Patrol Agent, whose death sparked the Fast and Furious gun running scandal speaking out. Let’s get started. 

 

For months, as you know, we've been covering the investigation² into the "Fast and Furious" gun running operation. Tonight, the mother and cousin of slain Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, the man you see right there, who was killed in connection with the gun running operation, they are speaking out on this program. Speaking out for the first time since the indictments⁴ were unsealed on Monday, charging five people in the shootout that resulted in the death of Agent Terry. The shootout, which happened in December of 2010. 

 

Now two guns were found at the scene of Terry's murder. Guns that months earlier the U.S. government allegedly knew and allowed to be bought by known criminals. Four of the five men charged in Agent Terry's murder are still at large, presumably in Mexico. We have pictures of just three of them. Federal authorities are offering up to $1 million for information leading to their arrest. 

 

Again, Brian Terry's mother and cousin joining us exclusively in just a moment. But first, though, "Keeping Them Honest." There are questions tonight about why the Justice Department waited eight months to go public with the charges. 

 

I applaud what they're doing, but I condemn⁵ the timing⁶. It's very clear that the timing has everything to do with the House of Representatives holding Eric Holder⁷ in contempt. 

 

Congressman⁸ Issa went on to call Monday's announcement another example, quote, "of using politics over good policy." "Keeping Them Honest," we asked senior legal analyst⁹ Jeffrey Toobin, a former federal prosecutor¹⁰ himself, about the timing of this. He said that an eight-month gap between indictment³ and press conference is unusual, but Jeff said that there may be good reasons to keep indictments sealed that long, such as the one laid out by the U.S. attorney who's handling the case. 

 

When we are conducting covert¹¹ operations, it benefits us to have the names of the defendants¹² that we're looking for sealed and not available to the public. 

 

So were there good law enforcement reasons to keep these indictments sealed for eight months? Possibly. Was there also a political or public relations component¹³ to Monday's announcement? Also very possible. We have no clear answer to Chairman Issa's allegation tonight. Nor for this allegation leveled by Issa and Iowa Republican Senator Charles Grassley. 

 

They say the ATF has now put these two "Fast and Furious" whistleblowers, Special Agent Sean Dodson and Pete Fraselli, under the supervision¹⁴ of a boss who allegedly threatened to take them down. In a letter to the Justice Department's inspector¹⁵ general, Issa and Grassley make the case that Dodson and Fraselli's supervisor¹⁶, a man named Scott Thomason, had it in for the pair. 

 

Quote, "He stated we need to get whatever dirt we can on these guys," the whistleblowers, "and take them down." The letter also cites another incident in which Thomason allegedly said, quote; "ATF needs to F these guys." 

 

With us now are Brian Terry's mom, Josephine, and his cousin Robert Heyer. 

 

Appreciate both of you being honest with us. 

 

Josephine, first of all, our condolences for the loss of your son, I can't imagine what this has been like, but these last two years, frankly¹⁷, have been like more than two years now. I wanted first of all to get your reaction to the recent indictments the U.S. attorney announced in San Diego. 

 

I think it's a good thing. And I'm pleased the way everything is going and I think Laura Duffy and her team are really doing an excellent job. And I think something good is going to come out of this. 

 

Robert, has anyone from the Department of Justice given you an indication as to why the indictment is just now being sealed? 

 

Well, if you mean the Department of Justice, we talked with Laura Duffy and her team of prosecutors¹⁸. We don't talk much with the Department of Justice in Washington. And we have been consulted by U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy and her team of prosecutors over the past year. They even flew to Detroit to brief Brian's parents, Josephine and Kent Sr. on the status of the case. 

 

As we understand it, this investigation has been ongoing¹⁹ with the primary goal of apprehending²⁰ these four fugitives²¹, and that is the reason that it has been delayed in being announced.

1 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

4 indictments   

n.（制度、社会等的）衰败迹象( indictment的名词复数 )；刑事起诉书；公诉书；控告

参考例句：

• A New York jury brought criminal indictments against the founder of the organization. 纽约的一个陪审团对这个组织的创始人提起了多项刑事诉讼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These two indictments are self-evident and require no elaboration. 这两条意义自明，无须多说。 来自互联网

5 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

6 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

7 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

8 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

10 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

11 covert   

adj.隐藏的；暗地里的

参考例句：

• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
• The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.军队对这座建筑物进行了数月的秘密监视。

12 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

13 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

14 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

15 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

16 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

17 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

18 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

19 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

20 apprehending   

逮捕，拘押( apprehend的现在分词 )； 理解

参考例句：

• China has not been totally unsuccessful apprehending corruption suspects. 在逮捕腐化分子方面，中国并非毫无进展。
• Apprehending violence is not an easy task. 惧怕暴力不是一件容易的事。

21 fugitives   

n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Three fugitives from the prison are still at large. 三名逃犯仍然未被抓获。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Members of the provisional government were prisoners or fugitives. 临时政府的成员或被捕或逃亡。 来自演讲部分