So far, no good. We have asked the Texas Governor and Attorney General for documents that would help us understand the timeline and development of Operation Jump Start, which is sending Texas citizens to the border.
The Attorney General’s office claims to have documents that could help establish a timeline, but has declined to release the docs, citing confidentiality.
The Governor’s office has so far admitted to only two documents involving Operation Jump Start: a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Rules for Use of Force (ROF). The MOU has been web posted by the Governor, but the ROF has been declined for release.
The claim that the Governor’s office has no further documents is puzzling on its face, because the MOU mandates that the Governor pre-approve Jump Start missions in order to qualify for federal reimbursement. Indeed, the President and the Governor have emphasized that Jump Start missions are technically commanded by the four governors involved. In a June 30 press release, the Governor’s office once again makes the claim that, “Perry authorized up to 2,300 Texas troops to support the mission.” Yet when we asked a second time for documentation of the Governor’s authorization of this troop level, we were referred back to the MOU, a document signed by four governors and the Pentagon outlining the general framework of Operation Jump Start, which makes no mention of troop levels whatsoever.
If the MOU is to be implemented by four different Governors, then common sense tells us that each Governor is going to have some additional paperwork to do.
For Monday we are preparing another request regarding “the schedule” that sets the standard for being “on time” in Operation Jump Start. The Governor says the operation is going according to plan. So where is the plan?
We will be clear about the fact that we are not seeking any information that would endanger the lives of troops. But we do want to see some evidence of a plan through June 30 that stipulates a troop level of 2,300. And we remain skeptical of claims that nothing besides the MOU or Rules of Force exist in the Governor’s documentary record.
At least the AG admits to having documents, yet even in his case we fail to see why the public cannot be allowed to see the first requests that the AG received to develop the legal framework for Operation Jump Start.
Simply based on documentary behaviors so far, Operation Jump Start looks like militarization of the people’s right to know.