Posted on 03/20/2015 9:31:37 AM PDT by maggief
The director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is stepping down following controversy surrounding the agency’s proposal to ban certain types of ammunition.
The ATF announced Friday that Director B. Todd Jones is resigning at the end of the month “to pursue other opportunities in the private sector."
“ATF employees are hard-working, dedicated individuals who serve the public to make our nation safer every day,” Jones said in a statement. “I have seen firsthand their extraordinary commitment to combating violent crime, ridding the streets of criminals, and leveraging all available resources to keep our communities safe.”
“I will truly miss leading and working side-by-side with these men and women in their pursuit of ATF’s unique law enforcement and regulatory mission,” he added.
Jones, who in July 2013 became the first ATF director to be confirmed by the Senate and led the agency after a scandal involving the agency's infamousl botched Operation Fast and Furious" gun tracking initiative, is departing shortly after the agency dropped a controversial attempt to ban certain armor-piercing bullets used in AR-15 rifles.
The episode was the latest in a series of flaps that has put the Obama administration's ATF at odds with many congressional Republicans. In recent weeks, GOP lawmakers have introduced legislation seeking to tamp down on the agency's authority — and to abolish the ATF altogether.
Jones’ resignation comes amid a firestorm over the ATF’s proposed bullet ban, which was shelved last week after the agency received tens of thousands of public comments opposing the move.
The ATF argued that banning 5.56mm armor-piercing bullets that can be used in handguns would protect police officers, but emphasized that it was not attempting to ban all types of bullets.
However, congressional Republicans and gun groups beat back the ATF’s proposed bullet ban, calling it an infringement on their Second Amendment rights.
“Second Amendment rights require not only access to firearms, but to bullets,” a group of 53 Republican senators wrote earlier this month in a letter to Jones.
“If law-abiding gun owners cannot obtain rifle ammunition, or face substantial difficulty in finding ammunition available and at reasonable prices because government entities are banning such ammunition, then the Second Amendment is at risk,” they continued.
The ATF backed off the proposed bullet ban the next day.
“The vast majority of the comments received to date are critical of the framework, and include issues that deserve further study,” the agency said. “Accordingly, ATF will not at this time seek to issue a final framework.”
In a statement anouncing Jones' departure, Attorney General Eric Holder lauded him for his service and "groundbreaking" law enforcement initiatives, including an effort to strengthen ballistic imaging technology that recently played a critical role in the investigation of the shooting of two police officers.
"As the first ever Senate-confirmed Director of ATF, his indelible legacy will serve as an inspiring example for all those who follow him," Holder said in a statement.
ATF deputy director Thomas Brandon will take over as acting director until the agency finds a replacement for Jones.
So the next guy will impose the emperor’s decree.
Safer than what?
Safer from whom?
So, how many folks are employed in the BATFE? They all need to step down. Then I may feel a little safer. Maybe..........
I nominate Ted Nugent!
I’m thinking, just Odungo’s way of laying the blame on someone else.
Uncle Ted would not set foot in that den of bastard boys.
I wonder why they got him to go? Did he already want to leave? Valjar never makes anyone go.
Bull$h!t.
If you want to ban ammo, you’ll need a black female heading the ATF to ensure Republicans are scared to death to oppose it.
Some ‘Good Liberal’ somewhere will give him an overpaid job that he uniquely unqualified for as a reward for fighting the good fight and taking one for the cause.
This is really laughable. There really isn’t such a thing as an AR15 “pistol.”
There are what are called SBR’s (short-barreled rifles), but as I recall, most of them have 10 inch barrels which isn’t normally what you’d call a pistol.
ooops, “got caught”
Safer from fire crackers.
Bloomberg will give him a job.
The Texas Federal judge who stopped the Obama Amnesty executive order did it because the federal agency did not follow public comment requirements associated with a major change in policy.
It is clear that ATF also did not follow proper public comment requirements in its ban, then call for comments, then ignore comments on the steel core “green” bullet ban. As such, the ATF ban could have been overturned on a similar basis on not following federal register rules. I would bet that had there been litigation and DISCOVERY, there would have been some “very bad smoking gun” emails from the White house to ATF that would have made the headlines. Having the ATF director step down and take the hit for the team, is what is probably happening so that nobody investigates too closely.
No matter how nasty, unethical, heinous or illegal the action of a leftist gun grabber. It never rises above the oblique mantle of “controversy”.
what a crock of bull sh!t
Remember what Gordon Liddy used to say about the BATF.
That’s not a question.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.