EXCLUSIVE: Texas Coordinates With ATF to Share Income of Residents for Warrantless Monitoring

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

Texas secretly gives its citizens’ incomes to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Documents show this has led to at least one person being monitored by the feds without a warrant through the federal gun background check system. The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) told The Epoch Times that it has written contracts with ATF  for “sharing income information” for criminal investigations. The revelation may lead to oversight by the legislature.

Texas state Rep. Briscoe Cain, a Republican, is “deeply troubled” about this coordination with the state’s unemployment agency and federal government.

“My office will be looking into whether the Texas Workforce Commission is assisting the ATF in the Biden Administration’s mission to violate the constitutional rights of law-abiding Texans,” Cain told The Epoch Times after reviewing the emails obtained by Gun Owners of America (GOA) as part of its ongoing FOIA lawsuit.

This is the third part in an exclusive Epoch Times series on the ATF giving information on innocent suspects to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for daily monitoring through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The FBI uses NICS as a database of people who are prohibited from possessing or buying guns.

Texan’s Income Exposed

In one of the documents, an ATF agent emailed the FBI that a person suspected of straw purchasing or firearms trafficking needed to be put into the gun background check database. The agent wrote that “per TWC,” the man’s “reported wage earnings with the State of Texas do not appear to supply the financial means to afford the firearms purchased.”

The ATF agent requested on Dec. 28, 2020, that the Texan’s gun purchases be monitored daily for 90 days. However, as previously reported, the FBI wrote to ATF that its agents could request an extension of the monitoring for as long as they wanted.

Texas’s role in the program was uncovered in the ATF’s ninth production of documents to GOA as part of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit. The 42 pages are more heavily redacted than the previous ones given to GOA. There are seven pages of blacked-out information before the source of the income of the person in Texas is shown as TWC.

“One would think that a pro-gun state like Texas would not be handing over gun owners’ confidential financial information to the federal government without a warrant or likely even without probable cause,” Rob Olson, an attorney for GOA, told The Epoch Times.

By Emily Miller

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

The Paradoxical Patriot: The political odyssey of Frank S. Meyer

In his book, Daniel J. Flynn examines the ideological evolution of one of conservatism’s most paradoxical and overlooked architects, Frank S. Meyer. 

This Is America: Target™ Reparations

“This Is America” explores the cultural undercurrents pulling Western...

Blind Man’s Shutdown

Congress is playing the equivalent of Bind Man's Bluff. With the shout “tag your it” they seek to blame the other party for the government shutdown.

A Reluctant Acknowledgment: What Conservatives Can Admire in Everyday Progressives

Admirable ideological qualities seen in liberals and left-wing individuals are those of the everyday believer not their political leadership.

Ensuring Domestic Tranquility

The Supremacy Clause in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution establishes it as the highest law of the land, taking precedence over conflicting state laws.

Hegseth Says Military Has Every Authorization Needed for Strikes on Drug Boats

Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military is authorized to strike drug-running boats off Venezuela’s coast in the Caribbean Sea.

White House Official Says Layoffs Will Start Soon If Shutdown Talks Go Nowhere

Kevin Hassett said layoffs to federal workforce could occur quickly if negotiations with Democrats to reopen the government don’t lead to progress.

20 Teachers in California Facing Disciplinary Action for Posts on Charlie Kirk

California school districts move to discipline teachers for derogatory social media posts about the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Trump Coal Boost Gains Momentum as Bids, Land Opened Up

Trump administration accelerates coal expansion with new leases, mine permits, and 13.1 million acres of federal land opened for coal mining.

Department of Energy Cancels $7.5 Billion in Project Funding

The Dept of Energy (DOE) said on Oct. 2 that it had terminated 321 federal grants funding 223 projects, amounting to about $7.56 billion in cuts.

White House Withdraws EJ Antoni’s Nomination to Lead Bureau of Labor Statistics

The White House has withdrawn economist EJ Antoni’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the White House confirmed on Sept. 30.

US to Impose 100 Percent Tariffs on Foreign-Made Movies, Trump Says

President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 29 that he will impose a 100 percent tariff on all movies produced outside the United States.

Trump to Host Netanyahu at White House to Discuss Gaza Peace Plan

President Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House on Sept. 29 to discuss a ceasefire and broader peace plan for Gaza.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central