ATF Director: 'Wish I Had Better Answers' About ATF Agents Probing a Tea Party Conservative

CNS News ^ | 3 Apr 2014 | Susan Jones

[mandaladon]

CNSNews.com) - B. Todd Jones, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, couldn't tell Congress why his agents made two visits to a tea party conservative in a 13-month period -- but only after she requested tax-exempt status for her conservative group, True the Vote.

Catherine Engelbrecht had a Federal Firearms License (FFL) for 12 years. "And suddenly she applies for tax exempt status, and you're knocking on her door twice in 13 months," Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told Jones at a hearing on Wednesday.

"Congressman, I wish I had better answers," Jones said.

Jordan noted that ATF generally does FFL compliance inspections only in cases with "high-risk indicators," such as criminal activity -- but none of those indicators applied to Engelbrecht:

"Imagine what this lady felt like," a heated Jordan told Jones.

"She gets the full weight of the federal government coming down on her and her family and her business, and all she's trying to do is get a tax-exempt status that had been routine for 50 years, and suddenly now the federal government (is) saying, no, no, no -- you're not going to get that tax-exempt status, and we're going to send four federal agencies out to harass you, including yours."

[IMR 4350]

I sold a Ruger new model Super Blackhawk in a private sale at a gun show.

The guy buying it from me acted like it was supposed to be done in secret for some reason.

Conditioned response I guess.

The guy was in his 70’s and had a hard time holding it up so I didn’t figure he was a threat.

[IMR 4350]

There’s more way than one to have a good time at a gun show.

[Gen.Blather]

Out of curiosity why did you sell the Rugger? I absolutely love my two Rugger 9mm RSC’s but I didn’t originally want to buy two. I bought one and a Rugger (84 or 93, I can’t recall.) But it jammed so frequently I sent it back three times, the second and third time with a video as they couldn’t duplicate the jamming. I had a friend fire it on the video and you could see he wasn’t limp-wristing it. (Where you hold it too loosely and it can’t eject.) The problem was a failure to feed once it got hot. They offered me a different gun but it had to be 9mm. So, two RSC’s.

[Dapper 26]

The “stench” in Washington is overwhelming. And they’re worried about cows?

[Chainmail]

We need to fire everydambody.
This stuff needs to stop.

[dagogo redux]

Anyone get jail time for The Great Heist of 2007-08? Not even one indictment.

The Federal government, in conjunction with global movers and shakers, is simply a cartel, comprised of the money men, the planners and organizers, and the men with guns.

[IMR 4350]

Found an old model in almost new condition.

I like the old model Ruger SA’s better than the new models, more like the Colt SA’s.

I’ve got Ruger old models in .45 colt, .44mag., .41mag, .357mag, and .22mag.

New models in .32-20/.32mag, .41mag, .44-40.

[WMarshal]

There needs to be a law provides congress a hammer to beat fuses bureaucrats with if they are less than truthful. How about a majority vote to reduce their pensions by a percentage a 20% a pop until they entirely lose their pension or congress can fire up to 200 people a year and forbid them from ever working or contracting with the federal government?

[Nifster]

and the pogroms continue

[Chode]

OUTSTANDING!!!

[IMR 4350]

Thanks, just doing my part.

ATF is stupid on steroids.

[Chode]

100%

[GOPJ]

If B. Todd Jones thinks his job is to be the thug enforcement arm of the democrat party then we’ve got a major criminal problem happening. In a few months he’ll be in contempt of congress just like the other criminal (imho) from the IRS...

[GOPJ]

Nixon was a babe in the woods compared to these monsters. How dare they think they can be the thug arm of one political party over another? It’s like we’re living in some third world hellhole.

[cookcounty]

Director Jones replied: "I do know that we've got to get better answering the mail. We've worked very hard and have changed some of our processes to get better answering the mail because we know you need information...."

Answering The Mail?. So an official inquiry by the Congressional Oversight Committee is considered a piece of mail? If Jones is in fact innocent of stonewalling., then he is a total incompetent and needs to be released from government service.