Kenneth E. Melson
Encyclopedia
Kenneth E. Melson was the chief director and head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
(ATF) in the United States
. He was appointed by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
to head the agency on May 14, 2007. Melson has served in the Department of Justice
as a federal prosecutor for nearly 24 years. He resigned as head of the ATF
after being under fire from Republicans and critics over the scandal surrounding the "gunwalking
" program of Operation Fast and Furious
. His seat was replaced by Dennis K. Burke
, former United States Attorney
for the District of Arizona
.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice...
(ATF) in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was appointed by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Alberto Gonzales
Alberto R. Gonzales was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. Gonzales was appointed to the post in February 2005 by President George W. Bush. Gonzales was the first Hispanic Attorney General in U.S. history and the highest-ranking Hispanic government official ever...
to head the agency on May 14, 2007. Melson has served in the Department of Justice
Department of Justice
The names Department of Justice and Justice Department may refer to:*Department of Justice *Department of Justice *Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform *Department of Justice...
as a federal prosecutor for nearly 24 years. He resigned as head of the ATF
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice...
after being under fire from Republicans and critics over the scandal surrounding the "gunwalking
ATF gunwalking scandal
Between 2006 and 2011, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ran a series of “gunwalking” sting operations under the umbrella of Project Gunrunner, a project intended to stem the flow of firearms into Mexico...
" program of Operation Fast and Furious
Operation Fast and Furious
Operation Fast and Furious was a sting operation run by the United States via the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Phoenix Field Division between 2009 and 2010. Part of Project Gunrunner, the Southwest Border strategy first implemented it in 2006 to stem the flow of illegal...
. His seat was replaced by Dennis K. Burke
Dennis K. Burke
Dennis K. Burke is the former United States Attorney for the District of Arizona.-Early life and education:Burke was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1962. Burke received a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University in 1985 and earned his Juris Doctor from University of Arizona College of Law in 1988...
, former United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the District of Arizona
United States District Court for the District of Arizona
The United States District Court for the District of Arizona is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Arizona. Court is held in the cities of Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Yuma, and Prescott. The district was created on June 20, 1910, by 36 Stat. 557...
.
See also
- ATF gunwalking scandalATF gunwalking scandalBetween 2006 and 2011, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ran a series of “gunwalking” sting operations under the umbrella of Project Gunrunner, a project intended to stem the flow of firearms into Mexico...
- Mexican Drug WarMexican Drug WarThe Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking. However, the government's principal goal has been to put down the drug-related violence that was...
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and ExplosivesBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and ExplosivesThe Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice...