As a lone appellate attorney representing Patrick “Tate” Adamiak is furiously preparing for an appeal hearing that takes place in Virginia in just eight days, rumors are swirling about whether any public official may help free the 31-year-old former sailor who is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence even though he broke no law and did nothing wrong.
In all honesty, the rumors are doing much more than just swirling. They’re hitting like a Category 5 hurricane. I’ve never seen anything like it, but I’ve only been doing this for a few decades.
It’s too bad none of rumors are true.
President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and whoever is actually running the ATF lead the rumor list.
I’ve also been told that FBI agents, former FBI agents and possibly even ATF agents may also jump in at the last minute and help Adamiak’s bid for freedom.
One ATF official told me they were going to review Adamiak’s case and get a U.S. Attorney to release him from prison. However, this ATF official no longer returns calls. I think he was just playing for time and trying to stop us from telling and retelling Adamiak’s story.
I’ve even been told that Kash Patel has Adamiak’s file sitting right on top of his desk, but that he’s waiting for something yet unknown before he too jumps into action.
I believe none of these and neither does Adamiak.
As it stands now, not a single politician of any party has helped the young former sailor, who should be leading a Navy SEAL platoon rather than wasting two decades of his life sitting behind bars in a federal prison in New Jersey.
However, while the government waits and does nothing, pro-Tate activity in the gun community is actually increasing. He’s become the subject of pro-gun news stories, podcasts, websites, news shows and even fundraisers.
It’s time to recognize and thank those who made this possible.
First, I need to thank my boss, Alan Gottlieb, who founded the Second Amendment Foundation more than four decades ago. Mr. Gottlieb has let me run at Tate’s stories hard. He is much smarter than any newspaper editor I ever worked for, and I worked for more than a few.
Tate’s dad, Dave Adamiak, needs plenty of thanks, too. Dave helped create the Freedom for Tate website, which chronicles all of the stories and videos about his son. Now, he is attending gun shows seeking signatures of those who support his son. Dave does more to help Tate in just one day than most do in years.
Adam Myers, one of Tate’s former colleagues, has been a tremendous help too, for reasons best left unsaid.
The pro-gun media has led from the front with their stories about Adamiak. They were the first to recognize that the ATF was lying, that Tate did nothing wrong, and that he needs real justice.
Pro-gun readers have contributed massively too, but most of us knew long before Tate’s arrest that this is exactly the kind of crap the ATF is willing to pull. At least they didn’t shoot and kill him during his arrest like they have before.
Tate Adamiak is more than grateful for everyone’s interest, help and support.
“While I appreciate everyone’s help, I just hope it’s not too late. The government is trying anything they can do to affirm my conviction. I would like any one of these political leaders to actually look at what they are claiming to be machineguns—the physical evidence. It’s shocking to me they know who I am, but the evidence is straight forward. I did nothing wrong,” he said.
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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.
Thank you Lee for doggedly reporting on this travesty. The cowardice of our elected officials or maybe it’s greed, they are afraid to do anything that may jeopardize their insider trading grift, is vomit inducing. We need to hold the bastards accountable. We can do that by naming names…
May 2025-Florida senator Rick Scott stated unequivocally on a northern Florida morning radio show that “this was a miscarriage of justice (sic)”, and that he was going to look into it. Apparently he is distracted.
Florida Ammolanders, please call this SOB relentlessly and ask him if he’s going to actually help this great American!
God bless Tate!
I called my US Senator yesterday and told his clerk the story. I think he will pass it on to the Senator because he took the time to look up Adamiak’s story online.
There are a lot of us who have done things similar to what Adamiak did and are not in jail. We should pull together and help this guy.
HLB
The MECHANICS at the ATF MESSED WITH AND MUTALATED the NON-WEAPONS of MANY Legal Law Abiding American Citizens in order to CHARGE them with the FICTICIOUS RULES of the Anti-Constitutionists in the Bureaucratic ATF. When will the Bureaucrats and Succusants be brought to TRIAL for their SHOOTINGS of American Citizens?!?!?!?! IE: Mr. Malinowski, on a curve of a Snow covered road in the middle of winter, the intentional MURDERS and Burning at WACO, the HEAD SHOT of a woman holding her baby daughter on a mountain!!
No politician, including Trump, supports or believes in Adamiak or the 2nd Amendment.