By Lee Williams
SAF Investigative Journalism Project
The ATF and the DEA were told just last month that the Justice Department plans to merge both agencies, which sources say could occur by October 1.
Officially, no one is talking about the merger, which would likely require congressional approval.
Unofficially, the ATF is going a bit nuts.
“ATF leadership is trying to fight this and convince everyone it’s not a good idea to merge the two organizations,” said John “JC” Clark of FFL Consultants.
Clark is former law enforcement and a former corporate compliance officer. The firm he cofounded, FFL Consultants, trains hundreds of gun dealers each month and thousands annually, virtually and in person. Few understand ATF’s innerworkings better than Clark and his team.
The proposed ATF/DEA merger is something few want to discuss. Both agencies seem difficult to combine, since each has different missions and rules. Both have an industry and a criminal enforcement side, although the DEA relies heavily on the pharmaceutical industry to regulate itself.
Very few want to discuss the merger, even retirees.
“Anybody that’s retired has said they’re so happy they’re retired,” Clark said.
Public affairs at ATF and DEA refused to even discuss the merger.
“I cannot. I would refer you to DOJ,” ATF spokesman Doug Shores said in an email.
“We refer you to the Department of Justice,” DEA Media Affairs said in an email.
Public affairs at DOJ did not respond to emails seeking their comments.
Meanwhile, the buzz within the ATF is not good.
“Everyone appears to be curious as to what is to come Oct. 1st.” Clark said.
Restructuring and combing the two agencies would be a massive challenge, especially after what occurred during former-President Joe Biden’s term in office.
“During the Biden administration, I had fairly good relations with the bulk of the ATF. If there were situations where we could backchannel comms, we would do that. Under Trump, from my perspective, the vast majority of the ATF claimed it did not agree with what Biden did. His zero-tolerance position hurt them. Although they may not have been in agreement with the administration’s policies, it was prudent to insure they followed policies, or they’d be out of a job,” Clark said.
During an interview with Cam Edwards, National Shooting Sports Foundation senior vice president and general counsel Larry Keane said the NSSF strongly opposes the ATF/DEA merger. The firearms industry would be better off with “structural reforms” to the ATF instead, Keane said.
Gun Owners of America took strong issue with the merger, too. “Merging is not abolishing,” GOA said in social media posts. “It’s a DANGEROUS Trojan Horse.
Clark and his staff don’t want to see the ATF/DEA merger either. He has always tried to maintain partnerships with ATF’s field divisions, supporting education and compliance of ATF’s regulations, as well as their mission to maintain public safety.
With the merger, Clark fears his good relations may end. The firearm industry is truly interested in preventing firearms from getting into the wrong hands, while maintaining strict compliance. Any change of this magnitude could cause confusion or anarchy, by requiring his staff to educate a new governmental body, Clark said.
“I’d rather keep the devil I know, rather than the devil I don’t,” he said
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