Firearms Industry Says Bloomberg
Stonewalling On Providing Tapes To ATF
NEWTOWN, CT (August 28, 2006)—The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, said today that the failure of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to turn over evidence of alleged illegal firearm sales, as reported in the New York Sun (August 28, 2006), to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is telling.
"If these firearms dealers violated federal law there needs to be a full
investigation," said Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president and
general counsel of NSSF. "The fact that Mr. Bloomberg is so afraid to
turn over 'evidence' to the ATF speaks volumes as to the veracity of his
claims."
ATF is the appropriate and legally authorized regulatory agency in charge
of overseeing enforcement of firearms laws and regulations.
NSSF called upon the mayor to come clean with the "proof" he and his
private investigators accumulated in their attempts to circumvent
federal law protecting law- abiding firearms dealers from baseless civil
suits.
Earlier this year the mayor misused gun trace data to launch so-called
"sting" operations against firearms dealers without the knowledge of
either ATF or his own police department. In the process his private
investigators interfered with as many as 18 ongoing criminal
investigations, imperiling the lives of law enforcement personnel –
including undercover New York City police officers. Mr. Bloomberg then
went on to condemn ATF, calling the agency "asleep at the switch," even
though his own police department had been involved in a lengthy,
multi-state, ATF task force investigation into gun trafficking.
"After berating ATF and issuing defaming statements about numerous
firearms dealers, Mayor Bloomberg has the opportunity to set the record
straight," added Keane. "Mr. Bloomberg should release the videotapes and
other "evidence" he purports to have demonstrating illegalities of
firearms dealers. If he continues to obstruct federal law enforcement
from investigating these very serious charges, ATF should subpoena this
documentation."
Mr. Keane concluded, "As the mayor rejects public and law enforcement
attempts to back up his incendiary claims it appears that his war
against the firearms industry is more about publicity and personal
disdain for guns than any illegality or impropriety on behalf of the
firearms community."
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