ATF Fast and Furious: New documents show Attorney General Eric Holder was briefed in July 2010

ATF Fast and Furious: New documents show Attorney General Eric Holder was briefed in July 2010

Attorney General Eric Holder's statement to Congress in May, 2011.

New documents obtained by CBS News show Attorney General Eric Holder was sent briefings on the controversial Fast and Furious operation as far back as July 2010. That directly contradicts his statement to Congress.

On May 3, 2011, Holder told a Judiciary Committee hearing, "I'm not sure of the exact date, but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks."

Yet internal Justice Department documents show that at least ten months before that hearing, Holder began receiving frequent memos discussing Fast and Furious.

The Justice Department told CBS News that the officials in those emails were talking about a different case started before Eric Holder became Attorney General. And tonight they tell CBS News, Holder misunderstood that question from the committee - he did know about Fast and Furious - just not the details.

ATF Fast and Furious: New documents show Attorney General Eric Holder was briefed in July 2010