U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in his crosshairs.
In a damning letter to ATF director Steven Dettelbach, dated September 7, 2023, and shared with Breitbart News, Gaetz accused the agency’s officers of “retaliation and harassment” against a Congressional whistleblower.
“It has come to my attention that yesterday, September 6, 2023, ATF agents once again aggressively targeted and harassed one of my constituent federal firearms licensees (FFL), Chris Smith of Gulf Coast Gun, this time apparently in violation of federal law,” Gaetz wrote. “Chris has held an FFL in Florida for years with no issues, and yet the ATF has aggressively audited him without merit and accused him of various clerical errors in an attempt to have his FFL revoked. It is for this reason that Chris testified as a whistleblower before members of Congress.”
On X, Gaetz explained that Smith “testified at a congressional field hearing I hosted on the weaponization of the ATF and its heightened targeting of Federal Firearms Licensees (FFL).”
Yesterday, I was informed of retaliation and harassment by @ATFHQ agents against congressional witness Chris Smith, owner of Gulf Coast Gun in Milton, Florida.
He testified at a congressional field hearing I hosted on the weaponization of the ATF and its heightened targeting of… pic.twitter.com/SP2Ybj8r1f
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) September 7, 2023
“In an alleged violation of federal law, ATF agents showed up at his business to aggressively audit and harass him over a license he has only held for six months and has yet to use,” Gaetz stated. “Because Mr. Smith has not yet used the license, the agents had nothing to inspect and had no choice but to leave.”
“ATF agents also showed up unannounced later that evening at his store manager’s home, despite the manager not being involved in the sale of firearms or the business of Gulf Coast Gun,” the Florida Rep. continued. “The manager was not home, so ATF agents gave him a menacing call and said: ‘Don’t worry, we know where you work.'”
Smith’s manager, Christian O’Brien “does not have business hours,” Gaetz wrote to Dettelbach.
O’Brien doesn’t have office hours, Breitbart noted, “because he does not sell firearms ‘or perform any business on behalf of Gulf Coast Gun.'”
“This kind of stalking is unwarranted and creepy,” Gaetz told Dettelbach.
“The ATF’s harassment of law-abiding FFLs is clear and documented,” he added. “Furthermore, the implication that the ATF may be retaliating against congressional whistleblowers in response to their lawful actions before Congress is astounding.”
“How many audits and/or inspections has the ATF performed on a license held only for 6 months?” the lawmaker demanded to know. “For what emergency did the ATF find it necessary to perform a house-call to someone who is not involved in the sale of firearms on behalf of Gulf Coast Gun?”
On X, Gaetz stressed, “We need answers from ATF Director Steven Dettelbach immediately.”
Following the publication of the Breitbart story, Gaetz released the entirety of the letter in a press release.
“@RepMattGaetz Accuses ATF of Retaliation Against Congressional Witness”https://t.co/EzFpjkz4Kh pic.twitter.com/G9PfNYCUPP
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) September 7, 2023
In it, he noted that “The ATF had previously audited Chris’ retail license within the last year, and it follows that given the ATF is forbidden from auditing the same business twice in one year, the only excuse the ATF had to harass Chris further was to audit a new, unused manufacturer’s license.”
“Every single one of these corrupt agencies needs to either be shut down or completely restaffed from the top down,” stated one user on X. “Get rid of all of the mindless drones that routinely violate the Constitutional rights of American citizens because they are following orders from above.”
“And for those agents from the ATF, FBI, CIA, IRS, etc that are reading this–RESIST!” the user urged. “Stop following the orders of your corrupt bosses. Become a whistleblower. Bring down the corrupt system.”
Every single one of these corrupt agencies needs to either be shut down or completely restaffed from the top down. Get rid of all of the mindless drones that routinely violate the Constitutional rights of American citizens because they are following orders from above.
And for…
— Ryan Davis (@gunclubprez) September 8, 2023
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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