Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned on her tough record as a former prosecutor, but the White House office she oversaw may have been more focused on targeting legitimate gun manufacturers than gun crime.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee said the Biden-Harris administration is obstructing an investigation into potential “collusion” with a gun control group founded by billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to back a lawsuit against Glock Inc. in Chicago.
Since June, neither the White House nor the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, better known as the ATF, have responded to multiple inquiries from the committee.
The ATF missed a Wednesday, Aug. 28 deadline to respond to the committee.
ATF whistleblower warns Biden administration proposal would effectively ban private gun sales: report
Vice President Kamala Harris has a key role in overseeing the Biden administration's Office of Gun Violence Prevention. (Photo by Kenny Holston Pool/Getty Images)
“The American people should be deeply concerned that rather than prosecute criminals, the Biden-Harris Administration is colluding with groups that oppose the Second Amendment, and rather than responding transparently to serious requests from Congress, the White House is choosing not to comply with our requests,” Rep. James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, told Fox News Digital.
The committee has been investigating the White House. Office of Gun Violence Prevention Communications We consulted with Everytown for Gun Safety regarding the City of Chicago's lawsuit against the gun manufacturer Glock.
The controversy could also have an impact on the presidential election.
“The new Office of Gun Violence Prevention will be overseen by Vice President Harris, who has been a key leader in the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to end our nation's gun violence epidemic,” a White House press release announced in September 2023. Biden nominated Stephanie Feldman to be director.
Chicago crime victims have message to Democrats: 'Do something for our community'
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) says the Biden-Harris administration is obstructing his investigation into possible “collusion” with a gun control group founded by billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to back Chicago's lawsuit against Glock. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Harris, is obstructing the Oversight Committee's investigation into possible collusion between White House officials and anti-Second Amendment groups, despite our repeated requests,” Comer continued.
Neither the White House nor the ATF responded to multiple inquiries from Fox News Digital about the matter.
In June, Comer wrote Dettelbach and Feldman inquiring about the administration's contact with Bloomberg's organization, Everytown for Gun Safety, which was providing legal assistance to the city of Chicago in its lawsuit against gun maker Glock.
Then, in mid-August, Comer wrote ATF Director Steven Dettelbach after the committee learned that the ATF had used encrypted apps and text messages to communicate with officials at the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
“The committee also has not received documents requested by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives related to its communications with the White House,” Comer said. “We will not allow the White House to get away with ignoring these requests and will continue to hold them accountable.”
Gaston Glock, inventor of namesake gun, dies at age 94
A Glock handgun is for sale at Redstone Firearms in Burbank, California, on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. Glock, the Austrian gun manufacturer, is being sued by the city of Chicago. (Kyle Grillo/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chicago sued Glock in Cook County Circuit Court, seeking to restrict post-sale modifications to guns. The illegal modifications were made after the guns were sold, but the plaintiffs allege that the company knowingly sold handguns that could be converted into fully automatic rifles. Criminals modify their guns using a part called an auto-sear. The lawsuit alleges that Glock turned a blind eye to the modifications made by criminals.
According to the Oversight Committee investigation, the White House met with representatives from Glock and asked the company to change the handgun design.
Chicago filed the lawsuit in March. That same day, John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, Post to X“Federal authorities recently contacted Glock to discuss implementing a new method of modifying Glock pistols to make it more difficult to install the Glock switch. Rather than cooperate, Glock falsely claimed it could do nothing.”
“Because this was a private meeting between Glock and the White House, it appears that Ms. Feinblatt had inside access to the White House meeting, raising the possibility of collusion with the agency,” Comer wrote in a June 14 letter to Feldman, the White House firearms director.
Hours after Hunter's firearms possession conviction, Biden comes under fire in gun control speech: 'We live in a clown's world'
In this file photo, ATF agents are at the scene of a raid in Texas in March 2018. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Comer requested “correspondence between officials from the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Everytown Gun Safety, and the Everytown Law Firm” related to Glock and Chicago.
In a June letter to the ATF director, Comer noted that Glock guns are popular among both ATF agents and the Chicago Police Department.
“Following this logic, the government could hold nearly any manufacturer liable for illegal modifications or misuse of their products,” Comer wrote.
Click here to download the FOX News app
“The Committee has learned that not only are members of your department's police department, but also members of the Chicago Police Department (and an estimated 65 percent of law enforcement agencies nationwide) carry Glocks as their primary carry weapons,” Comer continued in his letter to the ATF director. “One of the reasons Glocks are popular with law enforcement agencies is their design; they have earned a reputation as one of the most reliable handguns available.”
The city of Chicago, Everytown for Gun Safety and Glock did not respond to inquiries about the story.
In July, the cities of Chicago and Everytown asked for the original complaint to be dismissed, then filed an expanded complaint to include Glock companies and two gun stores.
