FBI Director Kash Patel To Take Dual Role As ATF Chief

FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to be named acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to a Justice Department official. This unusual dual role would place Patel in charge of two major Justice Department agencies, raising questions among critics and gun safety advocates. Patel’s appointment follows Attorney General Pam Bondi’s firing of the ATF’s chief counsel, Pamela Hicks, citing concerns over the agency’s alleged targeting of gun owners. Conservatives have long criticized the ATF for its firearm regulations, while the Biden administration had advanced measures to tighten gun control.