This Lawmaker Is Demanding Answers About the ATF's Secret Surveillance
on Lawful Gun Owners
Jeff Charles
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is demanding answers from the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) about its
surveillance of American gun owners.
Gun Owners of America (GOA) exposed the existence of the program,
created under former President Joe Biden, back in March. The
organization discovered that the ATF and FBI have been using the
National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) system to spy on gun-related purchases among residents of states with strict gun
control laws like California and New York.
One of the objectives appears to be looking for people purchasing
firearms parts that could be used to assemble guns that might be
prohibited under state law. This method was used to target Brooklyn
native Dexter Taylor, who is currently serving a ten-year sentence in
prison for building his own firearms.
Sen. Paul, in a post on X, announced that "The Biden administration
secretly monitored law-abiding Americans for exercising their Second Amendment rights."
"This surveillance program operated for years without transparency.
I'm demanding answers from the ATF," the lawmaker wrote.
The Biden administration secretly monitored law-abiding Americans
for
exercising their Second Amendment rights. This surveillance program
operated for years without transparency. I'm demanding answers from
the ATF. https://t.co/JE8gdzFeie
- Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) April 10, 2025
Paul sent a letter to the ATF's Daniel Driscoll, the agency's acting director, demanding more information about the program. He noted how
the ATF, after accidentally releasing unredacted documents to GOA,
tried to stop the organization from publishing the documents related
to the program.
Based on limited public information, the NICS Audit Log Review
(Monitoring)
system appears to allow ATF agents to request monitoring of a target
for time frames ranging from 30 to 180 days after providing
identifying information and applicable or potential violations of
statute. Upon approval, the ATF would receive alert(s) from the FBI
using information in its National Instant Criminal Background Check
System (NICS). The existence of this program, and the ATF's
longstanding push to conceal it from the public, raise questions about
its general use and its potential to infringe on Americans' civil
liberties.
The lawmaker requested information on "the number of individuals for
whom ATF is requesting or has requested NICS monitoring," "Records demonstrating the purpose(s) for which each individual has been
monitored," and "Records discussing the legality of NICS monitoring."
This program is reason # 4,982,128 while the ATF should be abolished.
The agency has weaponized its position to infringe on the right to
keep and bear arms on numerous occasions - especially under the Biden administration.
The fact that the agency collaborated with state governments to crack
down on gun owners is a prime example of how it has functioned over
the years. Instead of working to protect public safety, the agency has prioritized targeting lawful and responsible gun owners. It's time to
close its doors for good.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/jeff-charles/2025/05/12/sen-rand-paul-loo king-into-atfs-surveillance-program-n2656926
On 13 May 2025, "max headroom" <maximusheadroom@gmx.com> posted some news:1000tho$257uc$3@dont-email.me:
This Lawmaker Is Demanding Answers About the ATF's Secret Surveillance
on Lawful Gun Owners
Jeff Charles
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee, is demanding answers from the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) about its
surveillance of American gun owners.
Gun Owners of America (GOA) exposed the existence of the program,
created under former President Joe Biden, back in March. The
organization discovered that the ATF and FBI have been using the
National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) system to spy on
gun-related purchases among residents of states with strict gun
control laws like California and New York.
Banks and credit card companies are complicit.
One of the objectives appears to be looking for people purchasing
firearms parts that could be used to assemble guns that might be
prohibited under state law. This method was used to target Brooklyn
native Dexter Taylor, who is currently serving a ten-year sentence in
prison for building his own firearms.
Sen. Paul, in a post on X, announced that "The Biden administration
secretly monitored law-abiding Americans for exercising their Second
Amendment rights."
"This surveillance program operated for years without transparency.
I'm demanding answers from the ATF," the lawmaker wrote.
The Biden administration secretly monitored law-abiding Americans
for exercising their Second Amendment rights. This surveillance program
operated for years without transparency. I'm demanding answers from
the ATF. https://t.co/JE8gdzFeie
- Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) April 10, 2025
Paul sent a letter to the ATF's Daniel Driscoll, the agency's acting
director, demanding more information about the program. He noted how
the ATF, after accidentally releasing unredacted documents to GOA,
tried to stop the organization from publishing the documents related
to the program.
Based on limited public information, the NICS Audit Log Review
(Monitoring)
system appears to allow ATF agents to request monitoring of a target
for time frames ranging from 30 to 180 days after providing
identifying information and applicable or potential violations of
statute. Upon approval, the ATF would receive alert(s) from the FBI
using information in its National Instant Criminal Background Check
System (NICS). The existence of this program, and the ATF's
longstanding push to conceal it from the public, raise questions about
its general use and its potential to infringe on Americans' civil
liberties.
Democrats don't care about rights.
The lawmaker requested information on "the number of individuals for
whom ATF is requesting or has requested NICS monitoring," "Records
demonstrating the purpose(s) for which each individual has been
monitored," and "Records discussing the legality of NICS monitoring."
This program is reason # 4,982,128 while the ATF should be abolished.
The agency has weaponized its position to infringe on the right to
keep and bear arms on numerous occasions - especially under the Biden
administration.
The fact that the agency collaborated with state governments to crack
down on gun owners is a prime example of how it has functioned over
the years. Instead of working to protect public safety, the agency has
prioritized targeting lawful and responsible gun owners. It's time to
close its doors for good.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/jeff-charles/2025/05/12/sen-rand-paul-loo
king-into-atfs-surveillance-program-n2656926
It should have been closed down after the Obama scandal.
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