White House Withdraws Nomination of David Chipman for ATF Director

WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, September 9th, President Biden announced the withdrawal of David Chipman’s nomination to become the Director of ATF. As an anti-gun zealot, Chipman’s nomination represented one of the biggest threats to the Second Amendment in recent history. That is why every Senate Republican, as well as several key Senate Democrats, opposed his confirmation. This happened because of you! From the moment Chipman’s nomination was announced, the American Suppressor Association has fought alongside other gun rights organizations to prevent him from taking control of the very organization tasked with enforcing Federal gun laws. Thanks to your help, through thousands of calls, letters, and emails to your Senators, the threat of David Chipman weaponizing the ATF against the Second Amendment is over! Among other things, Chipman, who worked as a lobbyist for the anti-gun group Giffords, has a repeated history of making false statements regarding the safety and efficacy of firearm suppressors. In September of 2017, he testified against the SHARE Act and falsely claimed that suppressors “mask the sound of a gun, changing the sound into one not easily recognized as gunfire,” and that therefore they could make “assassination-style murders become easier.” These false claims were so outlandish that even the Washington Post’s fact-checker gave them 3 Pinocchios. Throughout the confirmation process, Chipman deflected questions about his past inflammatory statements about gun owners, his desire to ban the AR-15 and similar semi-automatic firearms, questionable behavior toward colleagues during his tenure at ATF, and his failure to disclose past interviews to members of the Committee. Although the withdrawal of Chipman’s nomination represents a tremendous victory, we, as the Second Amendment community, cannot let our guard down just yet. According to reports, a “senior administration official told CNN the move was made after the White House realized ‘we do not have the votes. We will land him in a non-confirmed job in the administration’.” Wherever Chipman lands, he will do his best to undercut your Second Amendment rights. Thankfully, that will not be as the Director of ATF.

About The American Suppressor Association

The American Suppressor Association (ASA) is the unified voice of the suppressor community. We exist for one reason and one reason only: to fight for pro-suppressor reform nationwide.

The ability of the American Suppressor Association to fight for pro-suppressor reform is tied directly to our ability to fundraise. Since the ASA’s formation in 2011, 3 states have legalized suppressor ownership and 18 states have legalized suppressor hunting. Much of this would not have happened without your support. For more information on how you can join us in the fight to help protect and expand your right to own and use suppressors, visit www.AmericanSuppressorAssociation.com.