The House Oversight and Accountability Committee, led by Chairman James Comer (R-KY), is investigating whether the Biden-Harris administration has been working with Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control group founded by billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, to influence a lawsuit by the city of Chicago against Glock Inc., a prominent firearms manufacturer.
Since June, the White House and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) have failed to respond to multiple inquiries from the committee. The latest deadline for the ATF to provide information passed on Wednesday, August 28, with no response.
Rep. Comer expressed concerns over the lack of cooperation from the administration. “The American people should be very concerned that, rather than prosecuting criminals, the Biden-Harris White House is colluding with anti-Second Amendment groups, and rather than responding to serious congressional requests with transparency, the White House is choosing to not comply with our request,” Comer told Fox News Digital.
The committee’s investigation focuses on communications between the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and Everytown for Gun Safety, regarding Chicago’s lawsuit against Glock. The city’s lawsuit, filed in March, alleges that Glock’s firearms can be easily altered to become fully automatic weapons, an illegal modification that criminals achieve using a device known as an auto sear. The lawsuit claims that Glock has willfully ignored these illegal alterations.
Chicago’s lawsuit has broader implications, as the committee noted that Glock firearms are widely used by law enforcement, including the ATF and the Chicago Police Department. “By this logic, the government could accuse nearly any manufacturer of liability for illegal alteration or misuse of their products,” Comer wrote in a letter to ATF Director Steven Dettelbach.
In September 2023, the White House announced the creation of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, with Vice President Harris playing a key role in overseeing its operations. However, Comer contends that the office is not cooperating with the oversight investigation. In a June 14 letter, he raised concerns about a private meeting between White House officials and Glock representatives, questioning the involvement of Everytown for Gun Safety, whose president, John Feinblatt, had publicly commented on the discussions.
Further complicating the investigation, Comer’s committee has learned that the ATF may have used encrypted communication methods to coordinate with the White House on this issue. Comer has requested that the ATF provide all relevant communications between the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, the ATF, Everytown for Gun Safety, and Everytown Law related to the Glock lawsuit.
As the presidential race heats up, the controversy over the administration’s approach to gun violence prevention and the potential collusion with gun control advocates could become a significant issue. The committee continues to press for answers, insisting on accountability from the Biden-Harris administration.
