by Michael Cargill is the owner of Central Texas Gun Works in Austin. He is also the plaintiff in Cargill v. Garland which successfully challenged the BATFE’s ban on bump stocks. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals found for Cargill in an en banc appeal in January. The US Justice Department appealed that decision to the Supreme Court and is seeking a writ of certiorari.
With that as a background, I find the following full blown audit of Central Texas Gun Works by BATFE inspectors as rather suspicious.
So the ATF walked into the gun store to do a full audit this morning. You know you are in the fight by yourself when 4 agents come to inspect and will spend the entire week going through every sheet of paper. #Texas #2A #GarlandVCargill pic.twitter.com/y2FMnMapuH
— Michael Cargill (@michaeldcargill) June 27, 2023
Day 4 with ATF agents conducting a full audit/inspection at @centexguns Central Texas Gun Works. The worse thing they found so far was 2 customers spelled AUSTIN wrong on the 4473 out of 13,000 transactions. #2A #Texas #GarlandVCargill #AffirmativeAction pic.twitter.com/PuKyXaEIPG
— Michael Cargill (@michaeldcargill) June 30, 2023
It would be hard to convince me that this is a normal routine inspection and not an effort at retribution by the Justice Department and their henchmen at BATFE. Given the Biden Administration’s new policy of “zero tolerance”, one is left to wonder if they are not seeking a way – anyway! – to put Cargill out of business. I don’t think two misspellings of the city name “Austin” are worthy of it but one never knows with the BATFE.
As with the IRS raid on a gun store in Montana, I think it is time for publicity by the representatives and senators from Texas. While the representative who covers the district where the store is located, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37), is an anti-gun tool in the pockets of the Demanding Moms, Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Cornyn (R-TX) need to step up and start asking questions.
If you are a Texan reading this, call Cruz and Cornyn and demand they get answers. Being an out-of-stater they don’t have to listen to me but they sure need to listen to a constituent.
THe really sad part is that sworn agents are willingly participating in this attempt…”Just Following Orders” doncha know…
I think my expectation that LEO would not follow unconstitutional orders died with the pandemic. Now it is “I’ve got to follow these orders or I’ll lose my pension”. The beauty of a pension for all those lucky enough to have one is that no matter what happens in the market your monthly retirement income keeps flowing without interruption and without a decline.
If abbreviating County to Cty on their form is bad juju (as I was told in California), how can misspelling Austin ever going to be ok with the BATFE Men?
Particularly when they have their man and are in the words of Felix Dzherzhinsky, Director of the Soviet CHEKA, finding the crime?
Minor curiosity: Retribution, or retaliation?
Also: interesting precedent in NJ regarding this. Article by Lee Williams at SAF (as seen at TTAG) detailing Ira Levin’s same travails with the ATF with his shop in Monroe NJ. Wonder if this could be used as some sort of precedence.
Yep, retribution, plain and simple. Calling my Senators… sigh
Know what’s interesting? These errors were made by “customers.”
Anyone can walk into a gun store in “civilian clothes,” buy a gun, and misspell stuff on a form to get the owner into trouble during a future planned audit.
Why, just anyone.
Now you are just thinking like one of those conspiracy theorists! I’m not saying you are wrong, though.