Hallelujah! The legacy media has finally started covering ATF’s unconstitutional war on the country’s gun dealers, which the pro-gun media has been denouncing and warning the public about for more than two years.
The Wall Street Journal published a story Friday morning titled: “Hundreds of Gun Dealers Lose Licenses Under Biden Administration Crackdown.” Nine hours later, FOX News posted their take of the WSJ story titled: “Gun industry cries foul after hundreds of gun dealers lose licenses amid Biden administration crackdown.”
This friends, could be a very good thing.
The more scrutiny the ATF receives, the more difficult it will be for them to continue violating our constitutional rights. But remember that ATF officials are masters of hoodwinking and gaslighting the media and the public. Their responses to the WSJ and FOX show that ATF’s leadership are up to their old tricks. Clearly, they’re trying to downplay the significance of what they’ve already done, and what they continue to do every single day.
Everchanging Rules
In an emailed statement to Fox News, ATF said it is merely following the law:
“Federal Firearms Licensees are often our first line of defense against gun crime and are often a source of critical enforcement information that helps law enforcement identify straw purchasers and disrupt firearms trafficking schemes,” ATF Spokesperson Kristina Mastropasqua said. “FFLs that willfully (emphasis mine) violate the law, however, must be held accountable. ATF conducts inspections to ensure compliance with applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations and to educate licensees on the specific requirements of those laws and regulations.”
For those familiar with Joe Biden’s weaponized ATF, the word “willfully” should jump off the page.
In a story published in May 2020, one expert warned that the ATF had redefined “willful” to bolster Biden’s zero-tolerance for willful violations policy. Now, because of the new definition, if a dealer makes a simple clerical error, they can lose their license because the new definition of willful states that the dealer knew the law, but willfully chose to violate it anyway – regardless of whether it was a simple oversight, an error by an employee or a minor paperwork mistake.
“They have twisted negligence into willful,” the ATF expert said. “These are not uncommon errors that we’re seeing. Things happen.”
Revoked vs. Surrendered
Both FOX and the WSJ cited ATF revocation data that claimed there were 122 Federal Firearm License revocations during the last fiscal year, which began in October.
First, I need to point out that ATF data – any ATF data – is immediately suspect. I’d rather rely on an 8mm Type 94 Nambu for home defense than any numbers ATF publishes. There is no doubt that far more then 122 FFLs were revoked, but this is not the point.
After a series of embarrassing losses during their own revocation hearings, ATF switched up some of its tactics. Now, in addition to formal revocation proceedings, ATF agents try to scare the hell out of a gun dealer they’ve targeted, hoping they will “voluntarily” surrender their license and avoid hearings and reams of paperwork.
This tactic worked when ATF sent a SWAT team to the home of a gun dealer in rural Oklahoma and handcuffed him in front of his 13-year-old son, but it failed when they threatened a longtime gun dealer in Texas with unspecified federal charges, who instead opted to take them to court.
An FFL is an FFL to the ATF. It doesn’t matter how they get their hands on them, but any truthful data should also include the number of FFLs that were “voluntarily” surrendered.
ATF-Speak
When covering anything ATF, particular attention needs to be paid to their legalese. Often, when ATF claims a gun dealer broke the law, it’s not really a law. It’s actually a rule the ATF came up with themselves. More than a few courts have chastised the agency for trying to be judge, jury and executioner. They’ve violated real laws by creating and enforcing their own rules, which carry the full weight of a federal law, such as fines and lengthy prison terms.
ATF still can’t grasp that Congress creates laws, not the administration or any federal law enforcement agency. They’re headed for a spanking from the Supreme Court that will be legendary in its scope.
Written Statements
When a public official or the agency they represent have nothing to hide, they take questions. They submit to interviews. They give out their cellphone numbers. They make themselves available to the media and the public. After all, they work for us, or at least they’re supposed to.
Nowadays, ATF leadership is hiding deep in a bunker. They don’t respond to emails, phone calls or ever FOIA requests. When pressed hard, they’ll sometimes send a written statement, but only after it’s been approved by teams of lawyers and communications staffers.
This alone speaks volumes about the ATF. It says they don’t believe in accountability to the public, which pays their salaries. It also screams that they have a lot to hide – far more than what’s already been uncovered.
I hope the legacy media’s interest in ATF’s shenanigans continues – the more, the merrier. Besides, ATF has become bloated with lies and is long overdue for a massive investigative enema.
This story is presented by the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project and wouldn’t be possible without you. Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation to support more pro-gun stories like this.
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.
“how the ATF is deceiving the media ”
one pathological liar to another..
” No, its not a turd, its a tootsie roll”
Bingo…Willing participants deceiving the populace. Not unlike what the Nazi’s and the German press did to the 1930s/1940s populace of Germany.
Adolph Joe Biden Hitler controls the DOJ, FBI and main stream media . These criminals all fixed the 2020 election for the idiot and now they are forwarding his communist agendas as his handlers have directed them to do with the brown shirts at the ATF to enforce the communist take over by taking control of the gun market . Eliminate the stores that sell guns and no one can buy a gun it’s that simple .
0bama controls AdoIph Joe, Valerie Jarrett controls 0bama, and Tehran controls Valeerie Jarrett.
Boz – likely true BUT exactly who is controlling Tehran?
the sections atf speak and written statements are especially telling. batfe makes up the rules (which they consider the law and courts usually uphold them) then they become the judge, jury and executioner.
they themselves, batfe, cannot stand up to the scrutiny they place ffl’s under. where are all the unaccountable firearms they are supposed to have in their control?
and like law enforcement likes to say, “if you got nothing to hide why not answer our questions?”
they are the equivalent of the ss in nazi germany.
I know of two FFL’s that gave up rather than fight because they were going to lose their license and didn’t want to spend the time and mostly the funds to fight it. I also know 4 gun stores in my area that closed because of measures that were passed regarding the requirement of a license to purchase a gun by the state. Between the two, we are down to 3 gun stores in a 75 mile stretch that have very little inventory. Are government owned gun stores going to be the end result of O’biden/Obummer? I don’t like what’s… Read more »
Haha, how does it feel to be vindicated MM44MAG? I knew you would be one of the first to post a reply. As I read the first paragraphs all I could think was you talking about sane people not using leftards speech, especially “gun violence” now we see the media ATFsplaining what many of us have been pulling our hair out every time those phrases are uttered or lies being told. This is the kind of content that keeps me reading Ammoland. Thanks Lee, you are a genuine Freedom fighter, America is a much better place with you in it,… Read more »
Time for ALL of the ATF’s UNLAWFUL “rules and regulations” be DELETED from EVERY ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. AFTER this deletion, ALL ATF personnel must be DISMISSED and FIRED from ALL PUBLIC OFFICES. THEN THE PROSECUTION and PUNISHMENT MUST BEGIN for each BUREAUCRAT who were/are connected with these “made up rules and regulations” which were ILLEGALLY enforced under the color of “LAW”!! RESTITUTION MUST be PERSONALLY and FINANCIALLY made by these Bureaucratic administrators!!
Agreed! Are you communicating those notions you your congressional representatives? What about talking about this with family and friends so that they know what’s happening? Many people don’t have any idea this is happening. Many, don’t even know the names of their congressman or senator until we tell them. Crazy no? And we share oxygen with these undereducated and misinformed drones.
I find peoples lack of knowledge concerning the people elected to office an embarrassment of the grandest scale. Not to mention the failure of society to educate its people.
Commies/voter skeptics are out in force today! Love the downvotes I get when talking about lazyassed voter skeptics and commie trolls, keep bringing it fools.
I’ve been stating for months that a new covid is on its way. Obiden has been buying masks and they are preparing for the new covid. News agencies are getting us primed and ready to stay locked in doors and now they have a new enforcement group to make sure you follow directions.
Guess when it is going to hit the hardest? I bet its election time when the entire country will be mandated to vote by mail.
I wouldn’t put it past this son of a (bitch).
FJB
Don’t comply. We’ve got waaay too much information why compliance is surrender. FJB.
I see the libtard leftists are out in full force today. So glad they are here playing their little games with their little minds and not out destroying America today.
F BLM and Antifags and their master JB
Biden is nothing more than a Manchurian Candidate. His ‘Handlers’ are making all the decisions. He is just the puppet for their ideology and agendas. His days are quickly coming to an end, as the election draws nearer. Make no mistake he will soon be forgotten as the next person is put in place. It won’t be Kamala. simply because she has already proven her worthlessness to the Cause. Expect Gov. Newsome or even Michele Obama if the situation becomes desperate enough.
I know, I think Obummer or his people are really handling it. What I don’t get is how Michele or Hitlary for that matter, think that they are qualified to run the country. How could being somebody’s wife make you qualified for the husband’s job.
And some people buy it. Crazy thinking.
Michael is who I think they will go with.
He has bigger nuts than his husband Obama.
LOL, good one.
What’s up with all these AI avatars? It’s a bunch of trying force AI on us. This shouldn’t happen because, I for one and I’m sure a lot more, don’t anything to do with AI. How about changing things back (avatars) to the way they were. Seems like each day this site keeps slipping further to the woke side. If this doesn’t change I, and probably more, will be saying good bye to this site.
Take one look at whom Biden selected as director of ATF. Dettelbach, who never owned a gun, never hunted, never served in military and probably never fired a gun (beyond, perhaps, a Coney Island shooting gallery). Now, tell me this isn’t a totally political appointment. His appearance before a congressional board was an embarrassment.
Hmm – perhaps the lame stream media is willingly being ‘deceived’ – or else they are co-conspirators with the bats.
As a FFL, I want to say thank you for covering this, Lee.
Sounds like a great big law suit to me!
Clear violation of PLCAA Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Te Alphabet Agency have to abide by the law, same as everyone else. Remember You deserve the Tyranny and Tyrants… You Allow.