Brady Statement on ATF Inspection Audit

Biden Administration Has Taken Necessary Steps to Reform ATF’s Inspections Program, but More Work Needs to be Done.

Washington, D.C., April 20, 2023 – Today, the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) issued a report on its audit of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ risk-based inspection selection processes and administration actions issued to federal firearm licensees (FFL).

Brady has long advocated for appropriate resourcing and necessary reforms to ATF’s FFL inspection program, and brought needed transparency to ATF inspections by obtaining and releasing to the public ATF inspection reports through our Gun Store Transparency Project.

Kris Brown, president of Brady, said:

“It’s no secret that historically, ATF has been woefully under-resourced and without confirmed leadership for much of its modern makeup. This report reflects the byproduct of that intentional undermining of ATF’s ability to enforce the laws on the books by the gun lobby for decades. It is also precisely why the Biden administration has provided landmark funding and resources for ATF and has taken important steps to improve the agency's ability to complete its mission to prevent gun violence by enforcing laws and ensuring robust oversight and accountability of the gun industry.

“This report affirms the need for a modern ATF and the critical role ATF must play to meaningfully address gun violence and stem the flow of illegal guns. Yet despite the clear need for the recent modernization efforts by the Biden Administration and ATF’s first confirmed director in nearly a decade, Steven Dettelbach, we know that the extremist gun lobby is working hard through allies like Rep. Jim Jordan to prevent ATF from taking action against firearms businesses that break the law. Brady will continue to fight against any efforts to undermine ATF’s regulatory authority to enforce firearms laws designed to keep Americans safe from gun violence."