ATF Agents (Photo: Fox40)
The gun control group known as the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence has sued the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for information relating to “bad apple” gun dealers as well as a white paper that made headlines earlier this year.
The complaint claims that the ATF has failed to comply with two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
One asks for all warning letters, warning conference notices, and the underlying reports of violations issued to federal firearms licensees within the last two years. It also asks the ATF to hand over all notices of “revocation of license” issued to federal firearms licensees from the same time period.
The Brady Campaign claims that these documents will help the organization achieve its “mission” to “hold accountable gun dealers” whose “reckless and irresponsible practices worsen the problem of gun violence in America.”
Brady Co-President Avery Gardiner doubled down on this line of reasoning in a statement released this week.
“The ATF has a critical role in monitoring the gun industry and keeping America safe from gun violence,” he said. “We sought information about its work, and it did not respond, even though it is required to do so under federal law. We certainly hope that ATF is doing its job and the public deserves these documents so we can make sure that the ATF is doing everything it can to stop gun trafficking and other crimes.”
SEE ALSO: Why NRA Blaming ‘Obama’s ATF’ for Bump Stocks Doesn’t Hold Water
In the second part of the lawsuit, the Brady Campaign claims the ATF has failed to release communications between ATF employees and outside entities relating to a leaked white paper written earlier this year by ATF second-in-command Roland Turk.
The white paper, published by the Washington Post in January, advocates removing restrictions on the sale of suppressors; conducting a study concerned with lifting the ban on imported “assault weapons”; and requiring a higher amount of crime guns to be traced back to specific dealers before the federal government asks for additional information from those dealers.
While the Brady Campaign does not accuse the ATF of foul play, the lawsuit does note that the white paper was leaked on the day of President Trump’s inauguration. It also points out that the National Rifle Association contributed financially to that campaign, and that the aims of the white paper “appear consistent with the NRA’s agenda of removing and reducing firearms regulations.”
Accordingly, the FOIA request seeks all internal ATF communications relating to the white paper as well as all communications that relate to the white paper between the ATF, members of the Presidential Transition Team, and representatives of the National Rifle Association.
The Brady Campaign claims that it needs all of these documents to “reduce gun-related injury and death” and to “educate the public.”
Anyone trying to protect you by taking the tools you would use to protect your self is a want 2 bee tyrant. The Brady Center I have watched for over 20 years They are liars. A few years ago they said gun deaths among children is sky rocketing. I know better and starting checking . They took the age one becomes an adult,18 and changed to 26. Now their number would include near all gang and drug shootings.
The Fort Hood Terrorist attack they said if it can happen in a place with all those weapons then the NRA’s saying more guns less crime is a lie. Bill Clinton made all military bases inside the U.S. GUN FREE ZONES in the 90’s You can also thank the Brady Center for scare words as Saturday Night Special, Semi Auto Assault Weapon, Plastic Gun and the story of how these .50 caliber bolt action Rifles have been shooting airliners out of the sky. My father had 6 of these guns on his fighter plane in WW II and they were full auto and he had a hard time shooting planes out of the sky.
Sarah pays herself, last I heard $900,000 a year to run her none profit organization For that kind of cash no wonder they need scare words. She also receives $5,000 a show when her and her machine gun toting body guards show up to sling her lies. If her and her organization revolved around anything but disarming America she would have been jailed years ago for fraud. I’m sure James is burning in Hell for his part in this fraud. Though he still holds the record for being the longest victim in history.
Hold gun dealers acountable? What about anyone using a gun in any offensive manner contrary to law? Lock them up, no plea bargain, no excuses and no second chances. Now that’s making criminals accountable.
Did they ask for this information while Obama was in office? Just curious.
If not…why not?
Hey Brady Campaign: You’ve been waiting to hear back from the ATF on a paperwork request, huh? GOOD F***ING LUCK!
Now you know how we feel. I submitted a complete Form 1 application to them for permission to build an SBR and paid them for the privilege. I’ve never been accused of committing a crime in my life. It took two weeks short of a YEAR to get a reply. You asked for a lot more so you may have a reply in time for the 2020 campaign.
You should try dealing with the Veterans Administration (VA), it took me over three years to just add my wife to my VA disability account. I already had a disability VA number, I sent all the required certified paper work in on December 23, 2012, VA received December 27, 2012 and the task was finally accomplished in April 2015.
There are some dealers that sell there weapons to person who fabricated there weapons application. They would be better served if thy ask from law enforcement for reports of stolen weapons.
Where were these guys when the gun dealers were trying to stop the Fast and Furious debacle?
That concerned their messiah Obama…and his disciple Holder.
No, it wants this information so that it can try to sue allegedly bad dealers out of business. Last I checked, that was the job of the ATF.
That, and they wish to whip up hysteria against any plan to eliminate pointless restrictions. Many collectors/shooters would like the restrictions on the G3/HK91 lifted, very high quality and desirable firearms. The other weapon that comes to mind is the Norinco 1911 .45. It’s probably the best affordable start to a competition gun on the planet, yet import is denied. We import average quality versions of the 1911 made by our ‘ally’ The Philippines, but the high quality Norinco from China is a nay due to arbitrary restrictions put forth by non-shooters to ‘stem the flow of weapons’ they deemed not to be ‘PC’.
Brady has no facts to argue the case in committee, they plan to use fear and misinformation cloaked as ‘common sense’ to spark ‘grassroots’ opposition.
I don’t disagree with your general point but you’re waaaaaay off on Norinco. There’s a very good reason they’re not eligible for import into the US. They tried to sell weapons to L.A. street gangs. I don’t see why the restrictions can’t be revisited but I do understand why that doesn’t happen.
Frnkie;
Your comment is nothing more than pure absolute nonsense and bullshyte in huge heaping piles.
Been a liberal useful idiot and gun hater long?
saibubba – Norinco can’t sell here because they were sanctioned for selling missile technology to the Iranians.