In a surprise move, FBI director Kash Patel was removed from his position as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), yesterday and replaced by Army secretary Dan Driscoll. His removal comes less than two months after he was appointed acting director on Feb. 24. He retains his post as FBI director.
Patel’s hiring came on the heels of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s abrupt firing of ATF’s long-time chief counsel, Pamela Hicks. Hicks had spent more than 20 years as a Justice Department lawyer. She was fired Bondi said because the agency was “targeting gun owners.” The ATF regulates the sales and registrations of firearms in the United States and long been a target of Republicans over alleged government encroachment on Second Amendment rights.
Where is Kash Patel?
Patel was allegedly removed due to White House officials concerns that he was not up to the task of running two agencies. Mr. Driscoll was selected because he is one of the only Senate-confirmed Trump appointees available to take over. It not known when Patel was formally removed or when Driscoll was directed to head ATF.
Patel replaced Marvin Richardson, the ATF’s previous acting director. He was not a popular choice according to ATF insiders. He has only appeared at ATF headquarters once, and that occurred shortly after his appointment. The Justice Department has proposed merging the A.T.F. with the Drug Enforcement Administration. This rumor has demoralized long-time agency staffers. Mark Jones, a former ATF special agent, when interviewed by The Trace at the time of Patel’s appointment said.
“It’s pretty demoralizing. This guy doesn’t like the ATF and doesn’t believe in firearms regulation. I just see him coming in with a wrecking ball.”
Unpopular Choice
The White House received backlash immediately after Mr. Patel was appointed as acting director. Democrats raised alarm at Patel’s nomination for FBI director over his lack of management experience compared to past directors and because of past incendiary statements, which included calling investigators who scrutinized Trump “government gangsters.”
Gun safety groups also opposed Patel’s nomination as FBI director, especially his support for Gun Owners of America, a gun rights group that has called for the ATF to be abolished. In a social media post, the group called Patel.
“A patriot who understands that the Second Amendment right of the People to keep and bear arms SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.”
The absence of leadership at ATF has raised the concerns of current and former law enforcement officials who say its weakened state could impede efforts to protect public safety and make it more vulnerable to regulatory cuts that could hinder its work. And while long-time ATF employees were shocked and disappointed by Patel’s appointment, his removal and replacement by a little know Army civilian has raised new levels of concern.
Dan Driscoll Profile
Dan Driscoll is an unknown Washington commodity. He is an attorney and close friend and former advisor of Vice President JD Vance. He was an Army lieutenant for four years, which included a tour in Iraq. After he left the military, Driscoll studied law at Yale University and graduated with his JD. After that, he worked in private equity and venture capital.
In 2020, he made an unsuccessful bid for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, finishing sixth in a crowded Republican primary. Driscoll than served as an adviser to the Trump-Vance transition team and the Republican National Committee. His last full-time role before his appointment was with OnCall Physician Staffing, a health care staffing agency, where he was a paid board member before stepping down in December.
Driscoll was confirmed by the Senate as the 26th secretary of the Army in February, with a 66-28 vote. It is not clear what effect Driscoll’s role at the ATF will have on his Pentagon duties.
