Middleton Tells Off Senate Committee over Jurisdiction
Barton Middleton
Barton Middleton, if not a hostile witness, was certainly a reluctant one. He spent much of his testimony denying meeting or closely knowing the likes of Mark Tench and Patrick Tillett. Indeed, the words “I don’t recall” or “I don’t know” featured prominently as his answers to direct questioning from the panel. Middleton also claimed that what other people said about him was their recollection and should not be thrown at him by the Senate panel to explain, because he could not explain it.
Aldo Salazar, Chair, Senate Special Select Committee
“The visas were stolen from the Western Border Station – that is a fact; eight visas were stolen from the Western Border Station. Nobody made that up. An investigation was conducted; your name arose, prominently; through Mr. Tillett to Mr. Tench. Mr. Tench was told that you were prominently seen with a female Immigration Officer who was identified as Ms. Casanova. Ms. Casanova came here and gave sworn testimony; said that she knows you, said that she used to give you rides twice a month. You said that’s not true. She said that she socialized with you through your brother, that’s how she met you, and when Immigration Officer Tench went looking for you, he spoke with you in her presence. So now, if you put yourself in my position, you understand why you are here, and why all of us have difficulty reconciling the sworn testimony, which if it is false, is perjury; that you are giving us? Understand, put yourself in our position. Do you understand why we are having difficulty?”
Barton Middleton, Businessman
“Yes, sir.”
Aldo Salazar
Aldo Salazar
“Isn’t that reasonable?”
Barton Middleton
“To you, maybe.”
Aldo Salazar
“I’m asking you.”
Barton Middleton
“It’s not reasonable to me…”
Aldo Salazar
“It’s not reasonable to you, okay.”
Barton Middleton
“Because people can say anything.”
Aldo Salazar
“Okay, I understand that; but then why would three people pick on you?”
Barton Middleton
“It could have been a hundred people – it doesn’t matter; I don’t know anything about any visas, stolen or otherwise; so it doesn’t matter how many times you ask me this question; no matter how many times you come to me and try to explain a thousand ways – I don’t know anything about any visas, stolen or otherwise.”
Aldo Salazar
“You do not know, or you cannot recall?”
Barton Middleton
“I don’t know.”
Aldo Salazar
“Earlier you said that you didn’t recall when we started out you said that you didn’t recall; now you are saying affirmatively that you were never involved in any issue with visas?”
Barton Middleton
“To me, not recalling and not knowing, I thought it was the same thing.”
Aldo Salazar
“They’re two different things.”
Barton Middleton
“Well, thanks for enlightening me; I didn’t know.”
The Committee will resume its public hearings on April twenty-sixth.
