Welcome to the World of Fast and Furious, with an a agency long noted by Civil Liberty observers, to be little more than a haven for, and arm of, those inclined to political thuggery.
Yes, there are some very decent and honest BATFER's. but there is also a well-documented contingent of the personality types that gravitate to Brown Shirts, legally sanctioned thuggery, and plain ol' 'bully the victims' mentality.
The extant literature cites behavior which reflects Agency LEO-thug behavior, consistent with complicit management knowledge from the White House to the outhouse.
Saying all that, most of the 'ticket-holders' I've know over the years state that 'their' agents have workable relationships. But sanctioned civil abuse is the other face of that agency, and historically, it appears they do not lack for volunteers to effect it.
