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Highwood Creek Outfitters was closed for most of the day on Wednesday while Federal agents with the IRS and ATF searched the building.
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Congressman Matt Rosendale’s letter to the ATF and IRS asking for explanation.
June 16, 2023
The Honorable Steven M. Dettelbach
Director
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 99 New York Ave, NE
Washington, DC 20226
The Honorable Daniel Werfel Commissioner
Internal Revenue Service 1111 Constitutional Ave, NW Washington, DC 20224
Dear Director Dettelbach & Commissioner Werfel,
It has come to my attention that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) abruptly entered and closed Highwood Creek Outfitters in Great Falls, Montana. Although the ATF are a useful resource in crime prevention and firearms theft cases this event is another example of President Biden weaponizing federal agencies to target and harass hard-working Americans for exercising their constitutional rights.
While we wait to hear more details and rational behind this raid, given the positions of the Biden Administration this raid appears to be an attempt to intimidate firearms dealers and owners. This is particularly worrying given that it comes just weeks the ATF closed a gun store in Cobb County, Georgia without any advance warning. 1 A pattern of intimidation and harassment seems to be emerging under Director Dettelbach’s leadership of the ATF. This pattern appears to be orchestrated directly from the White House as evident by the “fact sheet” released by the Biden Administration, where they detail their plans to hassle mom-and-pop gun shops over minor record keeping and paperwork discrepancies. 2
During my visit to Highwood Creek Outfitters, I learned that the IRS confiscated all the 4473 forms from the store. This means that the sensitive personal information of any customer ever to purchase a firearm at Highwood Creek Outfitters is now in the hands of the IRS. These background check forms include no financial information, and there is no discernable reason why the IRS would need these forms. The IRS committed an egregious breach of privacy for Montana’s gun owners, and I am outraged that the agents involved showed no regard for federal law. Although there are still some murky details regarding the events at Highwood Creek Outfitters. There is no circumstance in which 4473’s would be necessary in an investigation spearheaded by the IRS.
Highwood Creek Outfitters serves the community in Great Falls not only as a firearms dealer but also as an indoor range where Montanans can practice with their firearms in a safe environment, even providing local law enforcement agencies a place to practice with their weapons. 3 I request that the ATF and IRS cease conducting these Soviet-style intimidation raids. Under your combined leadership, the ATF and IRS, have repeatedly failed the American people. I request answers from both the ATF and IRS to the following questions by June 23rd, 2023.
● What was the purpose of entering and closing Highwood Creek Outfitters?
● What evidence did the ATF and IRS have prior to arriving at Highwood Creek Outfitters and how
was this evidence collected?
● Does ATF or IRS have any other plans to conduct similar activities at other firearms related
businesses in Montana?
● Why did the ATF and IRS believe such a large armed police presence was necessary?
● Has the Biden Administration expressed support for increasing in-person agency activities at
firearms-related businesses?
● How much have the ATF and IRS spent to conduct similar activities at firearms-related
businesses?
● Why did the IRS take Highwood Creek Outfitters 4473’s and what does the IRS intend to do with
them?
● Do the ATF and IRS believe it was within the legal rights of the IRS to take Highwood Creek
Outfitter’s 4437’s.
I remind both the IRS and ATF that Congress has the power of the purse, and I will work to ensure that funding for these agencies is not weaponized against the American people.
Sincerely,
Matthew M. Rosendale, Sr. Member of Congress