Pink Slip For ATF General Counsel Pamela Hicks
The changes in the U.S. federal bureaucracies just keep on rolling, with news now that Pamela Hicks, top lawyer at the ATF, is outski.
ATF shenanigans @ TFB:
- Careful! The ATF Might Still Be After Your Pistol Brace
- An Agency Seeking Permanence: ATF Director Announces Resignation
- ATF Apparently Seizing “Lethal Eye Muzzle Devices”: What You Need to Know
- ATF’s Secret Ruling System Revealed: MAF Corp’s Magic ATF Ball
Hicks announced her removal on social media on Thursday, February 20, with the following statement:
Earlier today, I was served official notice from the Attorney General of the United States that I was being removed from my position as the Chief Counsel of ATF and my employment with the Department of Justice terminated. I have had the privilege of serving in the federal civil service for almost 28 years, including 23 as an attorney for the Department of Justice. Serving as ATF Chief Counsel has been the highest honor of my career and working with the people at ATF and throughout the Department has been a pleasure. I thank my colleagues for their friendship and partnership over the years.
A long career
According to Hicks’ LinkedIn page, her career of nearly 30 years working in federal law enforcement roles included a first stint with the ATF from 2001 through 2010. She returned in 2019 in the role of Deputy Chief Counsel and was promoted to Chief Counsel in 2021.
No doubt her removal is part of the general overhaul of the U.S. federal government right now, but it seems strange to hear an outcry from so many media outlets and organizations who oppose President Trump’s move, as Hicks had not been batting 1000 in her time at the top—far from it.
High-profile hiccups
Over the past few years, the ATF has been involved with cases such as the Pistol Brace Flip-Flop, where the feds were in the odd position of saying pistol-stabilizing braces were illegal and then saying they weren’t, and then saying they’d decide on a case-by-case basis with no real guidance.
These and other Second Amendment-suspicious situations do not indicate strong leadership or solid legal groundwork, and whether you were looking at the situation from an anti-gun or a pro-gun viewpoint, it is no surprise to see Hicks punted a few weeks after ATF Director Steven Dettelbach left. With a new director incoming, whoever that may be, the agency will also likely want to clean house of previous personnel and policies.
