Twenty heavily armed federal agents from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) performed a raid against a Montana gun store called Highwood Creek Outfitters, a move that prompted U.S. Rep Dan Rosendale (R-MT) to ask the ATF and IRS to “cease conducting these Soviet-style intimidation raids.”
In a letter written to the leaders of the IRS and the ATF, Rosendale stated, “This event is another example of President Biden weaponizing federal agencies to target and harass hardworking Americans for exercising their constitutional rights.”
In this incident, the agents confiscated forms containing personal details of customers who purchased guns from the shop, which Rosendale notes to be an “egregious breach of privacy” that “showed no regard for federal law.”
Rosendale further questioned the need for these forms, asserting, “There is no circumstance in which 4473s would be necessary in an investigation spearheaded by the IRS,” in his letter to ATF Director Steven Dettelbach and IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel.
The owner of the gun shop, Tom Van Hoose, shared his belief that the actions are part of a broader pattern, saying, “The current administration seems hell bent on getting those guns out of the hands of average Americans.” He also expressed feeling “invaded” by the actions of the agents, despite their professionalism.
Rosendale stated that the raid seems like an attempt by the Biden Administration to intimidate firearms dealers and owners, even going as far as to say, “This pattern [of intimidation and harassment] appears to be orchestrated directly from the White House.”
Using social media as a platform to voice his concerns, Rosendale wrote on Facebook, “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!”
The Great Falls Police Department was informed about the operation and provided security. Representatives from the IRS and the ATF have yet to comment on the specifics of the incident. A spokesperson for IRS Criminal Investigation only stated that they were “on site as part of their official business,” and any further inquiries were referred to the IRS.
