ATF Director B. Todd Jones proves he is “a man of change” by announcing his decision to step down from his position at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and leaving the agency all together for the private sector. The rumor mill has it as he will be a lawyer for the National Football League.
The Obama-approved and Eric Holder-appointed Jones was acting director of the ATF since 2011 and voted in as permanent director in 2013. He was one of six acting directors in six years. The ATF will, yet again, be replacing the director with current Deputy Director (Thomas E. Brandon).
Brandon has served as Deputy Director since 2011. Prior to his current position, he was a special agent in charge of the field division in Phoenix, Arizona.
Just as B. Todd Jones entered into the agency amid controversy—as is his exit with the pending M855 ammo ban—so will Brandon.
Prior to becoming Deputy Director, Brandon was the Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division for operations in Arizona and New Mexico. In Operation Fast and Furious, from 2006 to 2011, the ATF in Tucson and Phoenix purposely let illegal guns “walk” into Mexico in hopes the ATF could track down and arrest cartel leaders. The ATF lost track of over 2,000 firearms. Including the one used to murder United States Border Patrol agent Brian Terry. As a guest on a 2012 radio show called “The Badge,” Brandon said about Operation Fast and Furious, “Being totally candid with you and the public, we made mistakes and we’re owning up to them.” None of my research returned that Brandon was ever called to testify or questioned about his role in Operation Fast and Furious.
B. Todd Jones resignation is effective March 31, 2015. He said, “I will truly miss leading and working side-by-side with these men and women in their pursuit of ATF’s unique law enforcement and regulatory mission.” Besides Operation Fast and Furious, the ATF has been widely criticized for its many botched sting operations operating fake gun stores throughout the country where agents took advantage of mentally incapacitated individuals, losing track of firearms and leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damages to properties in Operation Fearless.
It has been nearly a decade in which the ATF’s operations including the recent proposal to change the framework for “armor piercing ammunition” have been a disaster. So much so, that last year, Representative Jim Sensenbrenner said he was going to draft a bill to eliminate the ATF. Supporters of the bill called the ATF, “unaccountable,” “a debacle” and an “embarrassment.” Judging by the agency’s track record, I just don’t see it or Brandon digging themselves out of the hole they so furiously dug.
From the ATF’s press release:
ATF Announces B. Todd Jones to Depart WASHINGTON, D.C. – B. Todd Jones, the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), today announced he will depart to pursue opportunities in the private sector. Jones’s resignation becomes effective March 31. “ATF employees are hard-working, dedicated individuals who serve the public to make our nation safer every day,” said Jones. “I have seen firsthand their extraordinary commitment to combating violent crime, ridding the streets of criminals, and leveraging all available resources to keep our communities safe.” “I will truly miss leading and working side-by-side with these men and women in their pursuit of ATF’s unique law enforcement and regulatory mission,” Jones added. Jones was nominated by President Barack Obama for the position of ATF director on Jan. 24, 2013. On July 31, 2013, Jones became the first ATF director in history to receive Senate confirmation. As Director, Jones led the nearly 5,000 ATF employees whose responsibilities include enforcing firearms and explosives laws that protect communities from violent criminals and criminal organizations. Prior to becoming ATF’s permanent Director, Jones served as the acting ATF Director starting Aug. 31, 2011. While serving as the acting director of ATF, Jones was also the U. S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, a post he held from Aug. 7, 2009, until his confirmation as ATF Director. ATF Deputy Director Thomas E. Brandon will serve as Acting Director after Jones departs. Brandon was appointed Deputy Director of ATF in October 2011. Brandon has more than 26 years of experience with ATF. Prior to his appointment as Deputy Director, Brandon served as the special agent in charge of the Phoenix field division beginning in March 2011, and special agent in charge of the Detroit field division from January 2008 until his assignment to Phoenix. A law enforcement professional, Brandon began his ATF career in 1989, with Detroit as his first office assignment. Rising through the ranks at ATF, he served in many management positions including the position of chief of ATF’s National Academy, in Glynco, Ga. His vast experience ranges from participating and leading firearms and explosives enforcement operations to supervising arson investigations. ATF is a unique law enforcement agency in the Department of Justice that protects our communities from violent criminals, criminal organizations, the illegal use and trafficking of firearms, the illegal use and storage of explosives, acts of arson and bombings, acts of terrorism, and the illegal diversion of alcohol and tobacco products. We partner with communities, industries, law enforcement, and public safety agencies to safeguard the public we serve through information sharing, training, research and use of technology.
What do you think about this news? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
[suzanne]
I’m with Representative Jim Sensenbrenner when he said he was going to draft a bill to eliminate the ATF. I think we should get rid of most of these rouge agencies who think they can write the laws as they need; AT the very least disarm them! There is no need for the FDA, IRS, USDA and the BLM to have any sort of weapons! If they think they need a weapon they can call The County Sheriff and only The Sheriff!
The ATF are a bunch of unconstitutional henchmen attacking We the People to justify an existence that is unjustifiable. Look at the fast and furious… WTF was that? These guys are robbers just like the DEA. Fleecing American citizens. We are their “targets”. I for one would not miss them as they might as well be a branch of Obama’s SS just like the DHS, the NSA and the IRS. Good F=ing riddance B Todd.
Boy, if you think it is bad now, just wait till the last days of the Obama administration, and god forbid, the ballbuster Hillary Clinton ends up in the office. She has total disregard for all people except for what she wants. She is probably one of the biggest reasons why Bill Clinton helped pushed through all of the Gun control laws. Just imagine how she would handle issues like this. We are all in trouble should she get elected!!!
Talk about between a rock and a hard place. The Senate should prevent confirmation of any nominee to replace Jones as Director of the BATFE until after then next presidential election. If they do that, we’ll have to endure two years of Brandon serving as Acting Director. Our only hope is that a Congressional investigation will find both guilty of murder, obstruction of justice, and contempt of Congress or Congress will eliminate the BATFE (Obama will veto it).
” B. Todd Jones resignation is effective March 31, 2015. He said, “I will truly miss leading and working side-by-side with these men and women in their pursuit of ATF’s unique law enforcement and regulatory mission.” ”
There is absolutely NO CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY FOR THE BATFKS TO EVEN EXIST – let alone to have any “unique law enforcement and regulatory mission”
As a prior law enforcement person find it stupid to beieve atf is a need nor can we continue to lie that it’s effective. The game of purchasing a weapon via their unique law enforcement mission please i find them to be deralict of their duties and responsibilities.
In short we can better use that money we waste on this sad experiment, in plsces like supporting our homeless veterans like myself
Only in this great country can homeless have Internet. Smart phones too.
It’s pretty apparent how much of a racist Obama is by simply looking at the people he has appointed to various positions. The people who Obama has appointed to positions in no way reflects the population of our country. In a way, Obama has become the Chief Executive Officer of Affirmative action. Prediction – The person who is now the acting head of the BATFE will not get the permanent position.
Obama might as well just appoint himself head of BATFE that way he doesn’t have to keep looking for the right puppet who will do exactly what he wants.
Everyone’s comments here are interesting and valid points, but something much larger than any of this is rapidly baring down on us. Right now our country is in the same situation that the Soviet Union was in just before it broke up. Our government is bankrupt and has been so for some time. You are about to see history’s most devastating economic collapse. I would prepare by having money in hand, not in the banks. Have a supply of food and water and means of protecting your family and your home.
The economic collapse is most likely to happened very soon. The whole green tip ammo ban thing is tied into what’s predicted to happen with the economy. With a total economic collapse they don’t want armor piercing ammo in the hands of the public in a time of mass rioting, looting, and violence due to their own mismanagement of the national economy. Our national economy is kind of like the movie “Dumb and Dumber”. In the movie you have a couple of idiots in charge of this briefcase full of millions of dollars. They keep borrowing money from the briefcase and replacing the money with IOU notes. At the end of the movie the idiots have a briefcase full of worthless IOU notes. Same thing with our national economy. I can’t see how a government that taxes people 35% off of their paychecks and still can’t balance the books. I had the same problem understanding how an automobile manufacturer selling SUVs for $50,000 couldn’t balance the books. In both cases I would vote to let them fail.
Well the belted earl has spoken.
Where were you when all that was previously appointed to key positions were dumb fst white men
Anybody familiar with LEOSA? Law Enforcement Officer’s Safety Act. A federal law passed in the days of President George Bush and amended twice under Obama. There appears to be no federal agency tasked with administering the law. Seems like the BATFE would be the natural choice. They thought the NRA (what?) would have the best handle on LEOSA. Seeing that the BATFE can’t handle law enforcement could they at least shuffle LEOSA paper?
As I have been told, it is up to the various agency local offices and their firearms instructors whether they qualify once a year on the agency range they retired from or to find an NRA instructor who will work with them. I’m sure the NRA already has some sort of program for this, and if not then they should.
Yes, under this act, being considered retired federal law enforcement, I am pursuing a license under LEOSA which is $150.00 and good in ALL fifty states. My former agency is at the forefront, but STILL dragging their feet and not making it easy on us retirees. The LEOSA has some really cumbersome prerequisites devised to make it somewhat difficult, but like anything else in this world, if it is worth having, the affected individual retiree will pursue it until the goal is met. If you already have a CHL, the “powers that be” should permit conversion to the LEOSA identification without restriction or issue. If your Government agency trusted a law enforcement representative to carry semi and fully automatic weapons for 10 years or more (20 years + in my own case) and have access to for official use, sensitive or sometimes even classified information, they should be able to continue that same level of trust until the individual clearly shows they can no longer be trusted. Unfortunately, it seems to be more about CONTROL and LIABILITY rather than trust and acceptance in the individual law enforcement retiree. LEOSA started out as great idea and turned in to a Government boon doggle program as anyone of us might have anticipated. Good luck to other law enforcement retirees, federal or otherwise, who seek to gain acceptance via LEOSA. Once you retire, in many instances, you become an antequated second class citizen within the ranks like a .38 Special in a world of Glock semi automatics.
I think that Chris Cox, from the NRA/ILA, would be an excellent replacement for Biquarious Todd Jones, who stepped down from the BATFE. Chris Cox would do a very good job heading up the BATFE since he is familiar with Government, Guns and God.
Best of luck to Biquarious with the NFL. With a name like Biquarious you would’ve thought the NFL would’ve been his first choice anyway.
Right on brother!! One thing about Chris Cox heading up the BATFE…. you can expect him to do the right thing per the Constitution.
Everyone thinks our show on Comedy Central is funny, but the real comedy is our politicians. My partner, Peele, enjoys doing the Obama skits.
What ? He would not become rug rolling muslin ? Did the Sig arm brace give him a bruise ? Did the Drug Cartels make him a better offer ? Being a Soldier should be required of any Top level manager in law Enforcement . Being a REAL AMERICAN BORN CITIZEN should be required of any American President ……. prove it with real birth certificate . And NO company doing business directly with the Military , The .Gov. providing Intel , receiving Intel or the Mil . Industrial Complex should be allowed to use foreign money and influence to set the pace for ANY AMERICAN CITIZEN or Any American Law(s) ,,,or be a socialist by the name of George ! Money talks and American Law (s) walk ! God Bless America , God Bless The Republic
GOOD RIDDANCE – GOD BLESS AMERICA !!!
As long as the current administration is running the government, do not expect anything to improve. Whomever is appointed will be in lock-step with Obama. We need to hang-on until 2016 and elect someone who supports individual freedom and believes in the Constitution and the laws of the United States.
One incompetent stooge out one incompetent stooge in.Just how has anybody “owned up” to Terrys death? Anybody go to jail? Anybody even fired?Big government=small freedom/Small government=big freedom.Something appears to be blatantly wrong in El barack husseins choices.
I can’t tell you how much hearing this news just breaks my heart. I wish more people like him would give up trying to shove their so called “progressive” agendas down our throats and resign in disgust. We’ll all be happier if more of them do.
Been a while since I’ve added my $.02 worth in here. But, I think that one requirement for the appointment of ANYONE to ANY Government post should be that the person Will have to be a VETERAN….HONORABLY DISCHARGED; NO exceptions.
Perhaps then, We’ll have someone to speak/act on our behalf. Just sayin’.
WILL
Well said sir! Might I add the offices of President and Vice President should be Honorably discharged Veterans. I have always felt that if the Commander in Chief is going to send young men and women off to war he (or she) should have at least a nodding acquaintance with what it is like to serve on active duty.
So what about people who have medical reasons why they can’t get into the military? There are millions of people in the US who have ailments that keep them from getting into the military but are more than capable of running a country. And there are just as many ex-military who were discharged honorably that screw up this country… There are ex honorably discharged military at all levels who can’t even balance a check book let alone balance the budget of a country.
So you are saying that we should elect Wesley Clark, the democratic retired General… Or Colin Powell, another retired military General who is pro climate change legislation. He supports the radical governmental takeover of the health care industry. He accuses the GOP of using racial code words to oppose the president. He is pro amnesty as a path to immigration reform…
The only way we are going to turn this country around is to get the corruption out of politics. Until we can do that we will never have the true leaders jumping into politics. We need leaders that can put politics aside and lead the country as a whole, military or non-military. We need leaders that can get both parties to work together and get things done no matter if they are white, black, female, ex-military or civilian.
These people probably leave the administration in droves because they finally can’t live with all the BS and irrational things they are asked to do and say by this administration. There is nothing worse than looking like a fool to protect an incompetent boss or bosses.
95% of the United States Federal government is illegal=unconstitutional. Just because 8 people in black robes say something is constitutional doesn’t make it so. Effectively, yes, legally? No. Read the constitution; article 3 gives the congress the ability to constitute the supreme court. Nowhere in that article does it state that the supreme court has any ability to interpret the plain language of the constitution. It is time the States (yes, capital S State, as the States are the true power, not the Federal apparatus, which is created and should be controlled by the States) amended the constitution with no input from any Federal official and put an end to the freedom sapping and, I say again, illegal, Federal government.
I agree with every point in your post. The ONLY way to do what you suggest is to have a Convention of the States under Article 5 of our Republic’s Constitution. This process is under way as we speak in several State legislatures across this nation. The political Left is trying hard to spin this and convince people that a convention under Art. 5 will allow the participants to nullify/cancel our Const. It does not. What it does do is allow amendments to our Const. to be purposed and voted for or against by the delegates. ANY/ALL amendments adopted at the convention CAN NOT BE CHANGED OR VETOED BY ANYONE. Not the POTUS, the Congress, nor any court including the Supreme Court.
Amendments adopted will be what turns our Republic around, such as lifetime term limits (X # of total lifetime years in any elected office) for members of any/all courts, including the Sup. Court, both houses of Congress & their staff members, Stop paying any/all Fed employees obscene salary/bonuses, pensions/insurance plans, install a pay-cap for Fed jobs to a wage comparable to the same position in the private sector, do away with or drastically change the corrupt Lobbing system, end dozens of Fed Agencies, and prevent them from reinstatement, stop any/all ”Executive Orders” by future Presidents, make it easier to fire Fed employees including the President, & arrest/prosecute them for crimes, allow State Att’s General/We the People to bring charges against any Fed employee or the POTUS using a different and un-corrupted mechanism. these are just a few examples.
The way it is now, anything we do, there is some mechanism allowing it to be nullified. When their’s not any legal way, the Const. is circumvented, and no one has the stones to do anything about it. The Fed system is so compromised/corrupted by un-elected people, changing who we elect will do nothing as long as these longtime Dep. heads are not uprooted and evicted post-hast.
We ALL need to do our homework, then support a Convention of the Several States (35 of 50) to preserve our Republic as founded. ”Working together” with Progressives who’s goal is to overload the Capitalist system to the point of collapse/failure is an exercise in suicide. They want the US to fail,, we want it to survive. Where’s the ”common ground” or ”Compromise”in that?? There is none. They’ll do anything to see it fail. If we are not willing to do anything to see it survive, we’ve already lost, and we have failed every generation not yet born, sentencing them all to unspeakable oppression from a Totalitarian State.
For those lucky enough to escape the US borders,(if there are any) where the hell are they to escape too? We are the very last hope on this planet for the Human Race to live in Liberty. People use to laugh at political corruption. Well, no one’s laughing anymore.
Think about that while watching your children’s care-free faces as they play. How can we do anything less than everything, even if it requires using our nations enemies tactics against them? By now, the internal rot is so complete,, that our only way out,, is through.
I am very happy that we have a person who understands the constitution the people of this country have let the government stick there heads .up there own ass. have the people forgotten that they are the government, so what the HELL are they complaining about. It is so sad that we hold a lie higher than we hold the truth and this is a FACT.I thought our dream had came true when the housing boom clasped but the people were already in so much debt. nothing has changed. YOU know you are paying too much in taxes when the GOVERNMENT is in the real state business, ect it is so sad 85% of the people don,t own anything in America.all they owe is debt till they die. lets let america go down so people will pull there heads out of there asses and see what is really going on in there own back yard
Another career bureaucrat hits the revolving door to make more money and give favors in the private sector. The BATF should really be eliminated. It’s an agency that has never done anything but create problems for honest citizens and blow small incidents into major fiascoes.
I’m a little more generous. The BATFE should still have their regulatory powers over alcohol and tobacco. However their armed law enforcement powers should be eliminated. It hasn’t been their taxing which has been problematic, but their cowboy adventurism in the law enforcement field which has fraught with issues.
So zmortis… If you strip their armed law enforcement powers then they are useless… You said to let them keep their regulatory powers, is it not congress that passes / regulates the laws with them enforcing them? (Supposedly) So if they don’t make laws and they don’t have armed law enforcement powers, what is their purpose? That would make them tax collectors, would that not make them tax agents? And don’t we already have a tax department, the IRS???