U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Twenty-five Republican Congressmen – including every Republican member of the House Judiciary Committee – sent a letter to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Acting Director Gary Restaino, demanding an explanation for “the Department’s broad and unprecedented effort to revoke Federal Firearms Licenses (FFLs) from law-abiding business owners throughout the country.”
Led by Rep. Andy Biggs, (R-AZ), the Congressmen are seeking answers to issues first revealed in a Special Report by the Second Amendment Foundation, titled: “ATF Federal Firearm License revocations up a staggering 500%.”
The Special Report revealed that in the years before the Biden-Harris administration took over the White House, the ATF usually revoked an average of 40 Federal Firearm Licenses per year. But, in the 18 months since Joe Biden declared war on “rogue gun dealers,” the ATF has revoked 273 FFLs. Rather than targeting the true law breakers, Biden’s ATF is revoking FFLs for the most minor of paperwork errors, which were never a concern until Biden weaponized the agency.
“The Biden Administration’s radical anti-gun agenda is infiltrating the ATF and law-abiding business owners are having their businesses destroyed,” Congressman Biggs said in a press release. “Under this Administration, the number of FFL revocation proceedings initiated by ATF has skyrocketed and are often based on minor infractions.”
In the letter, Biggs and the other lawmakers said the ATF is launching revocation proceedings based solely on past ATF inspections, up to 18 months earlier, even after the agency had decided the inspection did not merit revocation.
“This pattern is deeply troubling and makes it abundantly clear that this Administration seeks to advance its anti-firearm agenda at any cost,” Biggs said.
The Lawmakers’ Questions
According to the Daily Caller, the Congressmen are seeking answers to the following:
- Is there an official or unofficial competition among ATF field divisions related to FFL revocations?
- Has the DOJ or ATF established quotas related to FFL revocations or any other metric related to FFL revocations?
- How many FFLs were revoked by ATF from 2009-2016?
- How many FFLs were revoked by ATF from 2017-2020?
- How many FFLs were revoked by ATF from 2021-present?
- How many FFLs is ATF in the process of revoking?
- Please provide all email communications from DOJ or ATF leadership to field division leadership regarding the revocation of FFLs.
- Please provide all email communications from ATF field division leadership to field agents regarding the revocation of FFLs.
“Acting Director Restaino must provide us with details surrounding ATF’s FFL revocation policies,” the letter states.
The information the lawmakers are seeking from ATF is similar to data the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project sought in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the ATF, which was sent more than a year ago:
Copies of documents that show the number of Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) and their state of residence, who have been prosecuted for willfully transferring a firearm to a prohibited person over the past three years (from June 23, 2018 to June 23, 2021.)
Copies of documents that show the number of Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) and their state of residence, who have been prosecuted for ignoring and/or refusing to cooperate with a tracing request from the BATFE, over the past three years (from June 23, 2018 to June 23, 2021.)
(Note: We did not seek the names or other identifiers of any FFL.)
To date, the ATF has not responded to SAF’s FOIA request.
The other co-signers of the letter include: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL.), Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA.), Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), Rep. W. Gregory Steube (R-FL), Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC), Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN), Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI.), Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-OR), Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA), Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX), Rep. Fred Keller (R-PA), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Rep. Andre Clyde (R-GA), and Rep. Ted Bud (R-NC).
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About Lee Williams
Lee Williams, who is also known as “The Gun Writer,” is the chief editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project. Until recently, he was also an editor for a daily newspaper in Florida. Before becoming an editor, Lee was an investigative reporter at newspapers in three states and a U.S. Territory. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a police officer. Before becoming a cop, Lee served in the Army. He’s earned more than a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter, and three medals of valor as a cop. Lee is an avid tactical shooter.
after mid terms congress needs to dissolve atf
Yes, but don’t flatter them with 3-letter name. They are the BATFE or the fsquad.
Absolutely, batfe need to be disbanded and sent to find real gainful employment, as they have done nothing but infringe by their very existence. Defund the federal gov!
Disbanded, tried for their crimes, and punished accordingly.
Disband and declare it was never a valid law enforcement agency. Time employed by them does not count toward LEOSA qualification. Former agents are no longer considered retired officers, no longer provided any “right” to carry arms where or when the rest of us are not.
What is the difference whether ATF is a group from Treasury (now Homeland Security) or an agency? They are still federal agent authorized to make arrests. I think that we should be going after the unconstitutional act of congress.
Put the NFA and GCA on trial.
The best way to defund the US government would be to refuse paying taxes until they get it together. For the People by the People.
That will never happen unless we somehow get an overwhelming majority of libertarians elected. Republicans love those Jack booted thugs as much as Democrats. There’s only about five Republicans in all of Washington who would do that.
As someone who has been active for almost 30 years in local GOP politics, I see your point and somewhat agree. However, the local GOP is becoming more conservative Libertarian and there’s a new group we are seeing organize both locally and in the TriState area, Washington, Idaho and OreGONE, that is starting to have impact, Patriot movement. Usually they stick the county the operate in in front of the Patriots name. These folks in my county are frustrated RINO hunters, ex-Tea Party, Paulistinians, (Rabid ex-Ron Paul supporters), and lots of military and ex-military looking for a political home. These… Read more »
and people: Dont think tea party conservative is white only crowd ,black farmers and business men fit the bill as well as many Latins strong family values, good education ,many prefer some religious component to education , self reliant but willing to help others want a better future for their children/grandchildren …..sometimes you need to point out to someone you dont like how things are going, voting for the same old same old gets same dismal results
Probably the most absurd and outrageous thing I have seen in my lifetime is when any person of color who speaks up for liberty, personal responsibility and traditional values is branded a “white supremacist”.
Yes, I concur. And in the same vein, I’d like to share some other comments that I found elsewhere: ” Disillusioned Angela Atkins • a day ago Exactly! People, even common sense people on the Right, do not realize they are using terminology that the Left has defined. It is not equity it is preferential treatment based on race. It is not green energy, it is energy fascism. It is not gun violence, it is a mental health emergency. It is not homelessness, it is a drug addiction epidemic. It is not a vaccine, it is mRNA gene therapy. I could go on… Read more »
The sad part is the majority of people are too stupid to understand the difference. They believe without reason and will defend the lie with absurd arguments, that when you point out the inconsistencies they become more irrational. The more of this I see the more I am sure that the reason 2% of population fought the government is only 2% is intelligent the rest are just heard animals why would anyone take a shot of something that does not protect from anything, and may kill you why would you take a risk when the odds of something helping are… Read more »
Hope you mean real, small-L libertarians. Every big L on the ballot opposes borders & immigration limits as “racist, nativist, slavery” etc. L border policy = the inevitable end of the USA.
Big L (fake) Libertarians cannot honestly take the pledge of allegiance let alone the oath of office. They’re actually worse than RINOs.
I don’t know what ballot you’re referencing.
Every “Libertarian” in every race I looked at since I worked for Clark for President in 1980, including several I interviewed, such as Aaron Russo.
spay and neuter politicians too
This is a form of double jeopardy. The FFLs in question were “tried” by the ATF and exonerated, but now the ATF is taking a second bite at the apple. That’s what happens when rogue agencies are judge, jury, and executioner.
There s no statuatiry requiement for any government to obey any “law”. In fact, government itself is specifically exempted from one law. The RICO Statute.
Typical OPE suck up post, upvoted by his sock posse.