Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is demanding answers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) about its surveillance of American gun owners.
Gun Owners of America (GOA) exposed the existence of the program, created under former President Joe Biden, back in March. The organization discovered that the ATF and FBI have been using the National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) system to spy on gun-related purchases among residents of states with strict gun control laws like California and New York.
One of the objectives appears to be looking for people purchasing firearms parts that could be used to assemble guns that might be prohibited under state law. This method was used to target Brooklyn native Dexter Taylor, who is currently serving a ten-year sentence in prison for building his own firearms.
Sen. Paul, in a post on X, announced that “The Biden administration secretly monitored law-abiding Americans for exercising their Second Amendment rights.”
“This surveillance program operated for years without transparency. I’m demanding answers from the ATF,” the lawmaker wrote.
The Biden administration secretly monitored law-abiding Americans for exercising their Second Amendment rights. This surveillance program operated for years without transparency. I’m demanding answers from the ATF. https://t.co/JE8gdzFeie
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) April 10, 2025
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Paul sent a letter to the ATF’s Daniel Driscoll, the agency’s acting director, demanding more information about the program. He noted how the ATF, after accidentally releasing unredacted documents to GOA, tried to stop the organization from publishing the documents related to the program.
Based on limited public information, the NICS Audit Log Review (Monitoring) system appears to allow ATF agents to request monitoring of a target for time frames ranging from 30 to 180 days after providing identifying information and applicable or potential violations of statute. Upon approval, the ATF would receive alert(s) from the FBI using information in its National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The existence of this program, and the ATF’s longstanding push to conceal it from the public, raise questions about its general use and its potential to infringe on Americans’ civil liberties.
The lawmaker requested information on “the number of individuals for whom ATF is requesting or has requested NICS monitoring,” “Records demonstrating the purpose(s) for which each individual has been monitored,” and “Records discussing the legality of NICS monitoring.”
This program is reason # 4,982,128 while the ATF should be abolished. The agency has weaponized its position to infringe on the right to keep and bear arms on numerous occasions — especially under the Biden administration.
The fact that the agency collaborated with state governments to crack down on gun owners is a prime example of how it has functioned over the years. Instead of working to protect public safety, the agency has prioritized targeting lawful and responsible gun owners. It’s time to close its doors for good.
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