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Every single Republican Senator on the Senate Judiciary Committee has signed a letter stating they want a second hearing with Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the ATF, David Chipman, according to a press release.
The senators wrote to Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) demanding the second hearing and urging him to uphold the committee’s responsibility to closely scrutinize nominees like Chipman.
It was indirectly reported in June that, according to an anonymous former ATF agent, Chipman said, “Wow, there were an unusually large number of African American agents that passed the exam this time. They must have been cheating.” Those allegations have now been corroborated by an additional public report of similar allegations, citing both current and former ATF officials.
It was further reported that Chipman was pushed out of his position in the ATF’s Detroit Field Office, raising serious concerns about his ineffectiveness as a leader and performance as a law enforcement officer. In addition, the Biden Administration continues to coverup and hide from the public at least two EEO complaints filed against Chipman.
The committee previously considered but did not report Chipman’s nomination following a tie vote. The nomination remains pending before the committee.
Full text of the Republicans’ letter to Durbin follows or can be found
HERE.
First, we have allegations that Mr. Chipman made racist statements about the abilities of African American ATF agents, the existence of which allegations have been confirmed by current and former ATF officials.
Second, these allegations imply that an important field assignment in Mr. Chipman’s career was one that he allegedly was both forced first to take and then to relinquish.
The first issue gets to Mr. Chipman’s character and the second gets to his effectiveness as a leader. Both should be of paramount importance to the Judiciary Committee.
Mr. Chipman’s nomination was never reported from the Judiciary Committee; it failed by an even vote. This means his nomination is still here. Because the Judiciary Committee still has Mr. Chipman’s nomination it’s critical that we call him in for a public hearing to address these allegations before any move is made to advance his failed nomination to the Floor. Furthermore you as Chairman must lead the Judiciary Committee in calling on the Justice Department and Mr. Chipman to make public and transparent any such records referenced in these reports—in particular the two EEO complaints Mr. Chipman identified for Sen. Cruz and any related documents.
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