The director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced he will resign on Friday, leaving the agency amid a controversial attempt to ban armor-piercing bullets.
B Todd Jones, who in July 2013 became the first Senate-confirmed ATF chief, said he will resign at the end of the month to pursue opportunities in the private sector. His departure coincides with the latest political battle between the Obama administration and the gun lobby, raising questions over whether a new director could be confirmed under a GOP-led Senate.
“ATF employees are hard-working, dedicated individuals who serve the public to make our nation safer every day,” Jones said in a statement. “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’s tenure at the agency is somewhat bookended by controversy. He was tapped by Barack Obama to head the ATF in 2011 when the agency was reeling from the gun-running scandal known as “Fast and Furious”, in which federal agents facilitated the delivery of weapons from the US to suspected cartel traffickers in Mexico. The botched effort, designed to trace the firearms to Mexican drug cartels, led to two of the guns being found at the scene where a US border patrol agent had been killed.
The ATF was scarred once again last month when its plans to ban certain types of bullets used in AR-15 rifles, which the agency warned could pierce through bullet-proof vests, were derailed by gun rights advocates. The administration had been quiet about its push to ban the so-called “green tip” steel-core bullets, but found itself on the receiving end of a backlash from pro-gun supporters and more than 80,000 mostly negative public comments.
Some gun rights groups even poured money into national radio and television advertising against the proposed ban. In the end, the administration was forced to abandon the proposal – also quietly. The anti-gun violence coalition that has, in recent years, sought to rival the National Rifle Association was also critical of the bullet-piercing debacle, noting a lack of communication from the administration that did not allow enough time for a counterattack.
The blowback was enough to prompt Republicans in Congress to consider legislation that would weaken the ATF’s authority, if not entirely abolish it. The renewed GOP opposition to the agency signals an uphill battle for whoever replaces Jones. ATF deputy director Thomas Brandon will step in as acting director until a replacement is named.
