The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is attempting to block a whistleblower in the Fast and Furious case from publishing a book on the scandal.
The agency is claiming that a retelling of the scandal by Special Agent John Dodson would hurt morale within the agency, according to the Washington Times.
This apparent infringement on Dodson’s First Amendment rights is bringing groups on both the left and right together to challenge ATF’s decision to block the book, according to the Washington Times.
"ATF’s dispute with Special Agent John Dodson is setting up a First Amendment showdown that is poised to bring together liberal groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and conservatives in Congress who have championed Mr. Dodson’s protection as a whistleblower.
The ACLU is slated to become involved in the case Monday, informing ATF it is representing Mr. Dodson and filing a formal protest to the decision to reject his request to publish the already written book, sources told The Times, speaking only on the condition of anonymity.
The battle also could have repercussions on Capitol Hill, where the two lead investigators who helped uncover the Fast and Furious scandal,Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa Republican, and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell E. Issa, Calif. Republican, had written a foreword to the book, the sources said.