Florida Gun Owners of America (GOA) are excited about the possibility of newly appointed FBI Director Kask Patel taking over the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
GOA says the ATF has long been a contentious agency, especially among gun rights advocates who argue it unfairly targets law-abiding gun owners. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has publicly accused the ATF of systematically targeting gun owners and even fired the agency’s general counsel.
GOA Florida State director Luis Valdez says Patel’s appointment to oversee both the FBI and ATF signals potential further shake-ups in the administration.
With over 2 million members and activists, GOA has been a vocal critic of the ATF. “For millions of Americans, the ATF represents a threat to their Constitutional rights, and GOA continues to push for its dismantling,” said GOA.
GOA said that with Patel taking on the dual roles leading FBI and the ATF, more shake-ups could happen,
While supporters point to ATF’s success in reducing violent crime, including through tools such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, critics say the agency unfairly targets lawful gun owners and infringes on Second Amendment rights. Some Republican lawmakers have drafted legislation to abolish it.
Bondi already fired ATF’s general counsel, accusing the agency of “Targeting gun owners,” and Republicans slashed the ATF’s budget during the last administration.
