Rep. Gaetz accuses ATF of harassing a gun shop owner who testified to Congress about the agency

Rep. Matt Gaetz called out the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives after agents showed up at a constituents’ gun shop in Florida to “audit and harass” him after he testified at a congressional field hearing.

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

Mr. Smith testified in June at a congressional field hearing held by Mr. Gaetz, Florida Republican, on the weaponization of the ATF and its increased targeting of licensees. Mr. Smith shared a story about a customer, a Navy pilot, who was denied a firearm when his identity was mixed up with a man in New York with the same name who had an arrested record.

In a letter Thursday to ATF Director Steven Dettelbach, Mr. Gaetz demanded answers about 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 previously audited Mr. Smith’s license within the last year, and Mr. Gaetz pointed out that the bureau is “forbidden” from auditing the same business twice in one year, saying that the “only excuse the ATF had to harass Chris further was to audit a new, unused manufacturer’s license.”

A local ATF agent admitted that he had no records of Mr. Smith using the license, according to Mr. Gaetz.

Agents also showed up at the home of Christian O’Brien, the manager of Gulf Coast Gun, who doesn’t sell firearms or perform any business for the store. Since Mr. O’Brien wasn’t home, they allegedly called him and said, “Don’t worry, we know where you work.”
Mr. Gaetz said that “this kind of stalking is unwarranted and creepy.”

“The ATF’s harassment of law-abiding FFLs is clear and documented,” he said in 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 asked Mr. Dettelbach to answer questions regarding the incident with Mr. Smith and Mr. O’Brien, along with asking for documents showing that Mr. Smith’s multiple licensees warranted multiple inspections within a year.

The Washington Times reached out to ATF for comment.