Republicans are demanding that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) remove the records of people who signed away their gun rights under FBI pressure.
The form, dubbed the “National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Indices Self-Submission Form,” was originally discovered by a Freedom of Information Act request put forward by pro-Second Amendment group Gun Owners of America (GOA). The story was later picked up and reported on by the Daily Caller.
After the story broke, GOA immediately demanded that the FBI reverse these waivers.
“We’ve learned the FBI had no business disarming these individuals. They did not pose a threat to society. The FBI actions were wholly unlawful,” Aidan Johnston, GOA’s director of federal affairs, told The Epoch Times.
GOA demanded at the time that the FBI remove these records from the background check database by Oct. 8 and that Congress enforce the removals. That deadline came and went with none of the records removed.
Now, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and other Republicans are similarly demanding the removal of these records.
The form used to sign away Americans’ gun rights “was created by FBI personnel and used by FBI agents to coerce and intimidate Americans who were not convicted of any crime into signing away their right to obtain a firearm, a right protected by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution,” Greene wrote.
“We, the undersigned elected members of the United States House of Representatives, demand full accountability from all law enforcement agencies, including the FBI,” the lawmakers added. “No government official—unelected, appointed, or even elected—has the right to infringe upon Second Amendment rights. Reportedly, and hardly coincidentally, the FBI claims to have discontinued use of this form immediately after its existence was made public.”
Greene said the continued enforcement of the form against those who did sign it “is a violation of federal law.”
The lawmakers picked up the issue because GOA’s original letter to the DOJ explaining why the forms were illegal has gone unanswered by the DOJ, which has been evasive in its responses to Republicans throughout the course of the 117th Congress.
“Since neither of your offices has responded to GOA’s letter, we, as Members of Congress, demand direct answers to the questions stated in their original letter,” Greene wrote before demanding confirmation of several points.
First, the lawmakers asked for confirmation that “the Department of Justice has identified and taken action to ’remove‘ offending records from any ’database' relating to those who have signed the rogue FBI form.”
They also sought confirmation that the FBI has taken action to remove the offending records from the NICS system.
Finally, the lawmakers sought confirmation that the FBI no longer uses the form.
“We look forward to your expeditious response to our l etter concerning the American People’s Constitutional rights that shall not be infringed,” Greene concluded.
- Greg Steube (R-Fla.)
- Michael Cloud (R-Texas)
- Mary Miller (R-Ill.)
- Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.)
- Louie Gohmert (R-Texas)
- Chip Roy (R-Texas)
- Ben Cline (R-Va.)
- Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.)
- Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.)
- Randy Weber (R-Texas)
- Lance Gooden (R-Texas)
- Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.)
- Warren Davidson (R-Ohio)
- Ralph Norman (R-S.C.)
