The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is tasked with enforcing federal firearms laws, licensing dealers, and regulating the nation’s network of federal firearm licensees (FFLs). Its work also includes issuing technical rulings that dictate the conditions under which firearms and related products are sold. For decades, pro-gun Americans have viewed the agency with suspicion, often seeing it as an antagonist rather than a neutral regulator.
Under the Trump administration, however, the ATF undertook reforms aimed at reducing its adversarial posture, promoting collaboration with gun owners and licensees, and “rebuilding trust.” Yet not everyone inside the agency welcomed this change.
From ATF to Everytown
According to investigative journalist Lee Williams, Marianna Mitchem—formerly ATF’s Associate Assistant Director of Field Operations (Industry Operations)—has left the agency and is now working for Everytown for Gun Safety, the gun control juggernaut bankrolled by billionaire Michael Bloomberg. Everytown is the umbrella group for Bloomberg’s sprawling anti-gun empire, known for pushing bans on popular firearms such as the AR-15.
Citing a former ATF official as his source, Williams reported that Mitchem is already focusing her new efforts on Glock and Glock-type handguns. The source claimed Mitchem has been “reaching out to her former colleagues” at ATF, pressing for stricter oversight on Glocks by framing them as too easily converted to fire automatically.
The Push Against Glock
Gun control advocates have long targeted Glock pistols, pointing to the illegal practice of modifying them with conversion devices that transform the semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic weapon. But altering a Glock in this way is already a serious federal crime—just as it is illegal to possess the conversion parts themselves.
Rather than holding criminals accountable, Everytown and its allies argue that manufacturers should redesign firearms to prevent the possibility of illegal modification. By that logic, nearly any long gun—capable of being shortened with basic tools like a hacksaw—would also be inherently problematic.
A Career in Bureaucracy, Not Enforcement
A LinkedIn page linked to Mitchem outlines her career on the “Industry Operations” side of ATF. Unlike sworn agents, these officials do not carry firearms, interact with violent criminals, or conduct raids. Instead, they administer inspections, licenses, and compliance checks across America’s firearms industry—what some have derisively called ATF’s “bean counters.”
It was this branch of ATF that became weaponized under the Biden-Harris administration. Policies such as “zero tolerance” inspections, expanded rules targeting self-made firearms and braced pistols, and aggressive oversight of private sellers all marked a sharp departure from Trump-era reforms. While courts struck down many of these Biden-era rules, the agency’s shift in priorities was unmistakable.
Political Alignment with Everytown
The source quoted by Williams described Mitchem as “very anti-gun” and closely tied to Biden’s ATF director, Steven Dettelbach, who admitted during his confirmation hearings that he had never owned a firearm. According to the source, Mitchem acted as Dettelbach’s “puppet,” particularly on issues like restricting self-made firearms.
For an official whose career gained traction during the Biden years, the transition to Everytown seems less a career change and more a natural progression. Whereas Trump-era ATF emphasized cooperation and trust-building, Everytown thrives on demonizing gun manufacturers and promoting sweeping restrictions.
A Familiar Path
Mitchem is not the first ATF official to join Bloomberg’s anti-gun ranks. Everytown previously employed retired ATF agent David Chipman, who became President Biden’s controversial nominee for ATF director. His nomination collapsed amid bipartisan opposition, but Chipman continues to advocate for gun restrictions in the private sector.
As of this writing, neither Mitchem nor Everytown has publicly confirmed her new role. If the reports are accurate, however, one thing is clear: American taxpayers will no longer be footing the bill for Mitchem’s gun control advocacy. Instead, her ambitions are now being financed by Michael Bloomberg.
