Matt Gaetz accuses ATF of harassing a gun store proprietor who testified to Congress concerning the company

Rep. Matt Gaetz known as out the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after brokers confirmed up at a constituents’ gun store in Florida to “audit and harass” him after he testified at a congressional area listening to.

ATF brokers questioned Chris Smith at Gulf Coast Gun about his federal firearm license which he has had for six months and hasn’t used but. After the brokers realized there was nothing to examine, they left, based on Mr. Gaetz.

Mr. Smith testified in June at a congressional area listening to held by Mr. Gaetz, Florida Republican, on the weaponization of the ATF and its elevated concentrating on of licensees. Mr. Smith shared a narrative a couple of buyer, a Navy pilot, who was denied a firearm when his identification was blended up with a person in New York with the identical identify who had an arrested document.

In a letter Thursday to ATF Director Steven Dettelbach, Mr. Gaetz demanded solutions concerning the “targeted harassment against a congressional witness.”

“ATF agents once again aggressively targeted and harassed one of my constituent federal firearms licensees, Chris Smith of Gulf Coast Gun, this time apparently in violation of federal law,” Mr. 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.”

The ATF beforehand audited Mr. Smith’s license inside the final yr, and Mr. Gaetz identified that the bureau is “forbidden” from auditing the identical enterprise twice in a single yr, saying that the “only excuse the ATF had to harass Chris further was to audit a new, unused manufacturer’s license.”

A neighborhood ATF agent admitted that he had no information of Mr. Smith utilizing the license, based on Mr. Gaetz.

Agents additionally confirmed up on the dwelling of Christian O’Brien, the supervisor of Gulf Coast Gun, who doesn’t promote firearms or carry out any enterprise for the shop. Since Mr. O’Brien wasn’t dwelling, they allegedly known as him and stated, “Don’t worry, we know where you work.”
Mr. Gaetz stated that “this kind of stalking is unwarranted and creepy.”

“The ATF’s harassment of law-abiding FFLs is clear and documented,” he stated within the letter. “Furthermore, the implication that the ATF may be retaliating against congressional whistleblowers in response to their lawful actions before Congress is astounding.”

Mr. Gaetz requested Mr. Dettelbach to reply questions concerning the incident with Mr. Smith and Mr. O’Brien, together with asking for paperwork exhibiting that Mr. Smith’s a number of licensees warranted a number of inspections inside a yr.