Did ATF Nominee David Chipman Lose his Duty Firearm?
U.S.A. -(AmmoLand.com)- Weve written quite a bit (here, here, here, here, and here) about how Chipmana man who has spent the last several years as a high-profile, anti-gun lobbyistis truly unqualified to serve as Director of ATF. But we havent touched on one aspect of his written testimony that has recently come to light in a number of news articles. Another article, from The Federalist, states that, in spite of Chipmans denial, a group familiar with the situation that spoke to his former colleagues told GOP senators they learned differently.  The article went on to state:  We were told multiple times by his former colleagues that he had lost his service weapon, Tom Jones, co-founder of (the American Accountability Foundation), said in an interview. We shared this information with the Senate, who has taken up the matter. Often a federal employees personnel file is made available to the Senate and would clear this and other disciplinary matters up. This week, Chipman refused the Senates request to provide his personnel file, which raises questions on this matter and what else he is hiding.  The ATF stated to Fox News, There is no record of any of Mr. Chipmans weapons being lost or stolen. But the claimed lack of a record doesnt necessarily put the issue to rest. We have no idea whether the allegation of a lost firearm is true. Its certainly plausible. And while we strongly support the adage of innocent until proven guilty, that doesnt mean ignore investigating something simply because the accused denies it ever happened. And, when it comes to Chipman, weve seen him say and write things that are demonstrably false in order to promote the anti-gun agenda. So maybe this issue does deserve more scrutiny, rather than just relying on the word of a man desperate to take charge of an agency that could be abused to fulfill all of his personal anti-gun goals. There must be some nexus to the allegation, but this speculation could all be easily put to rest. If Chipman would provide his personnel file, that should offer definitive clarification regarding this issue. But, as the article from The Federalist alleges, he wont release his file. Again, we are talking about a man who has a history of making anti-gun statements and promoting anti-gun policies, who wants to head the one federal agency that has the greatest potential impact on the rights of responsible, law-abiding gun owners. Gun owners are constantly told that they need to allow the government to have access to information regarding their firearms. David Chipman has been the head lobbyist for groups that have advocated for this by way of licensing and registration schemes for gun owners. About NRA-ILA:  Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess, and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org