20 ARMED IRS AGENTS RAID MONTANA GUN SHOP
Biden Is Using His New IRS Agents To Harass Law-Abiding Gun Shop Owners
With a would-be tyrant residing in the White House, every thinking person knew Biden’s 87K additional IRS agents would not be pushing papers around in the file room. Earlier this month, Highwood Creek Outfitters in Great Falls, Montana, was raided by 20 armed IRS agents, along with several ATF agents. This appears to be a step up in harassment of Federal Firearms License Holders (FFLH) and a step up in building an illegal database of gun owners.
Great Falls’ population is barely 60,000. Did these “public servants” fly into the Great Falls International Airport, or fly into Malmstrom Air Force Base, or does the local IRS office have THAT MANY firearm-trained “accountants?” I see this raid as a message to all those who sell firearms to scare and intimidate them out of business. It is also a message to legal gun owners: We are coming after YOU.
This raid was conducted without warning. Tom Van Hoose, the owner of Highwood Creek Outfitters, said that he was told that his business had been “reported.” “I can only assume that it’s because of the style of weapons that we have and the press that’s so against them,” he said. “The current administration seems to be hell-bent on getting those guns out of the hands of average Americans.”
Congressman Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) expressed his concern stating that this is another example of the “weaponization of federal agencies against hardworking Americans.” Rosendale also stated in a Twitter post, “The weaponization of our government must be STOPPED, which is why I sent a letter to ATF Director Dettelbach and IRS Commissioner Werfel demanding answers about this outrageous attack and have used every tool available to me to remove funding for the 87,000 additional IRS agents!”
IRS VIOLATED SEARCH WARRANT: DID NOT TAKE FINANCIAL RECORDS
The armed IRS agents seized almost 5,000 ATF form 4473s from Highwood Creek Outfitters, despite the fact that the search warrant was for FINANCIAL records. This prompted concern and criticism from both Montana officials and gun owners. ATF form 4473s include each gun purchaser’s name, gender, date of birth, address, location of birth, social security number and the serial number of each gun purchased at the store. They contain no “financial” information: even the gun’s purchase price is not listed. Van Hoose said, “At 7:30, I came in and they pulled in behind me with 20 heavily armed agents.” They stayed all day, leaving just before he closed his shop for the day.
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen told Breitbart News that the IRS seizure of gun owner documents is “extremely concerning” because it exceeds the search warrant that was issued, which “limited the scope of the search to financial records.” Knudsen said there is a “clear and disturbing pattern” of the Biden Administration deploying federal agents to “harass” gun shops, gun manufacturers, and gun owners in the United States.
“These aren’t financial records, they’re records of lawful firearm purchases,” he said. “What the hell does the IRS need with 4473s? We know the ATF in Washington, DC is trying to scoop up as many of these purchase records as possible, and that’s what it looks like they’re trying to do here.” He also pointed out that this harassment coincides with Biden’s push to repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). A repeal would expose gunmakers to lawsuits if their firearms are used in an illegal manner.
STATEMENT FROM GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA
In response to the raid on the Montana gun shop, Gun Owners of America issued a statement concerning the event.
“This was an incredibly alarming incident to hear about – especially given the checkered past of the IRS targeting conservatives – and Congressman Matt Rosendale of Montana deserves credit for helping to bring the details about this raid to light,” said Erich Pratt, vice president of Gun Owners of America. “This continued weaponization by the Biden Administration of federal agencies to go after their political opponents once again underscores the dire need for Congress to act, including by defunding the ATF and demanding answers from the IRS.”
DIANE’S ADVICE TO GUN BUYERS:
Hunter can lie on his ATF form 4473, but YOU can’t.
