Saturday, March 21, 2015

B. Todd Jones, head of BATF is Stepping Down



It is much harder to take some one's pension after they have retired.  I suspect that B. Todd Jones has decided to leave the agency because his fingerprints are all over emails and other digital trails leading to the attempted, and likely illegal ban on M855 and SS109 ammunition.  From thehill.com:
The director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is stepping down following controversy surrounding the agency’s proposal to ban certain types of ammunition.

The ATF announced Friday that Director B. Todd Jones is resigning at the end of the month “to pursue other opportunities in the private sector."
  As I wrote a week ago:
With the discovery of the change in the BATF manual online, that eliminated the exception for M855 and SS109 ammunition before they made the announcement, the ATF management understood that it was hanging way out in the wind, with very little protection or support. The digital trail might well show that they approved of the ban before there was any public comment or due process.

Then there is the little matter of Hillery’s emails.  The heightened interest in emails and accountability for them must be giving the BATF management grave concern.  They face the real possibility that a congressional committee would actually follow the digital and email trail of who approved of the modifications to the manual.  Backing down reduces that possibility enormously.


They have seen that President Obama is willing to kick almost anyone under the bus if it is convenient for him.  Consider what the BATF says in its "publishing error" "correction".  Here is the  BATF "publishing error"
facebook statement:
Please be advised that ATF has not rescinded any armor piercing ammunition exemption, and the fact they are not listed in the 2014 online edition of the regulations was an error which has no legal impact on the validity of the exemptions. The existing exemptions for armor piercing ammunition, which apply to 5.56 mm (.223) SS 109 and M855 projectiles (identified by a green coating on the projectile tip), and the U.S .30-06 M2AP projectile (identified by a black coating on the projectile tip), remain in effect.
Notice the important phrase: "an error which has no legal impact" .   It is the BATFE's way to say: We did not do anything wrong; we did not really mean it; and anyway, we have corrected our error, so there is no reason to look further.  It is implied that no one actually vetted the "error" or approved of it.  If that is indeed the case, it should be easy to show.  
Very likely, B. Todd has seen the potential danger, and is getting out while the getting is still viable.  I suspect that a Judicial Watch freedom of information act is in the works.

B. Todd is an early indicator of this administrations lack of support by administrators.  Who can blame them?  They have been set up for failure by this administration, and they do not have the golden parachutes that a president has.  They have to look to their own future and devices.   President Obama has no record of looking after those who have loyally supported him.  Just the opposite.  He is perfectly willing to throw anyone under the bus, if that advances his personal agenda.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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