Congressmen Call For Probe Of 2 Incidents Some Delegation Members Unhappy With Waco, Ruby Ridge Probes

Several new members of the Northwest’s congressional delegation want Congress to investigate two incidents which have become a rallying cry for militia activists across the nation.

The Republican lawmakers are critical of the assault by federal agents on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, and the siege at Ruby Ridge.

And they’re not satisfied with earlier Senate hearings and internal investigations by the Justice Department and the Treasury Department.

“If any local law enforcement agency, city police or sheriff had been involved they would have been fired, just plain fired,” Rep. Jack Metcalf of Washington said of the actions by FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents in Texas and Idaho.

“Why is it the federal government is being held to a lesser degree of performance?”

But the president of a professional organization that represents 10,000 federal law personnel including U.S. marshals and IRS, Customs, FBI and ATF agents bristled at any suggestion mistakes were made and said congressional hearings would be a mistake.

“I don’t believe opening up Waco or Ruby Ridge would serve any purpose but political grandstanding,” said Victor Oboyski, who works for the U.S. Marshals Service and is president of the Federal Law Enforcement Association.

At least a dozen federal agents were disciplined this year for mistakes and misjudgments they made during the 1992 Randy Weaver standoff. A confidential Justice Department report also found that several others violated their own policies and the Constitution by relaxing the rules that govern when agents may shoot a suspect.

Weaver’s unarmed wife, Vicki, was killed while she stood behind a door holding her 10-month-old daughter. Weaver’s son and a U.S. marshal also were killed.

FBI Director Louis Freeh doled out the punishments to his agents, but said he found “no crimes or intentional misconduct.” No agents were fired. Later, the Justice Department mirrored Freeh’s findings with another report.

Now, officials argue additional hearings on either incident would just feed the climate of hate among some radical right groups that led to the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City two weeks ago.

“To hold a hearing, at this point, to find out what went wrong (at Waco and Ruby Ridge) would send the wrong message,” Oboyski said. “If we need hearings on anything it would be on the assaults of federal agents by armed militia groups.”

The fiery assault on the Branch Davidians’ Waco compound in 1993 resulted in 75 deaths, including 25 children. Of those who died, 17 died of gunshot wounds, including several children, and the rest were killed by the fire.

Militia supporters and members of other radical right organizations have criticized the Waco and Ruby Ridge incidents as examples of federal law enforcements agencies operating out of control as they try to enforce unconstitutional gun control laws. Timothy McVeigh, who has been charged in the Oklahoma City bombing, was reportedly critical of federal actions at Waco and had visited the scene.

Federal actions have also been criticized by Idaho Sen. Larry Craig and Rep. Helen Chenoweth.

Returning from a three-week congressional recess, all six of Washington state’s freshmen legislators said Congress should take a look at Waco and Ruby Ridge.

“There are a lot of unanswered questions,” said Rep. Randy Tate. “There is a lot of information out there and I don’t know if it’s true or false. We should have a hearing to set the record straight.”

Rep. Linda Smith said in the 12 town hall meetings she held during the congressional break “some people were bewildered, some angry” over what had happened at Waco and Ruby Ridge.

“They thought the president had swept it under the rug,” Smith said. “There were quite a few who brought it up.”

Spokane’s Rep. George Nethercutt, while supporting an investigation, said it should be low-key so as not to incite any of the radical right groups in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing.

“I don’t want to be so dramatic that it could fan the flames of public discontent,” Nethercutt said. “We need to do it quickly rather than with a lot of political noise.”

The lawmakers were also critical of President Clinton for having attacked talk radio for fostering the climate of paranoia and fear that led to the Oklahoma City bombing. But all of them distanced themselves from talk show host G. Gorton Liddy, who said last week he used sketches of Bill and Hillary Clinton for target practice and the best place to shoot ATF agents was probably the groin.

“I can’t defend Liddy’s remarks,” said Nethercutt, who has been on Liddy’s show. “People behind the mike have some responsibility to conduct themselves with some reasonableness.”

Tate said Liddy’s behavior was inappropriate but likened it to rap stars singing about killing cops.

“People shouldn’t listen to that,” Tate said. “I don’t listen to Liddy. I’m not a fan of the guy.”

All of the freshmen used talk radio extensively during their campaigns and remain frequent guests.

Smith said Clinton had gone too far in criticizing talk radio and said that those who call in were just exercising their constitutional right to free speech.

“He made a big mistake using this for political gain,” Smith said.

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