Gun control group sues ATF over records release

Key Points:

• Gun control group Brady is suing the ATF and Justice Department for refusing to release documents about the largest sellers of crime guns in the U.S., specifically Demand Letter 2s (DL2s) sent to dealers selling 25 or more guns recovered from crime scenes annually.
• Brady filed a Freedom of Information Act request for DL2s issued from 2017 to 2021 and 2025, but the ATF withheld the letters citing privacy, trade secrets, and confidentiality concerns; Brady has previously used such data to track and report on crime gun sales.
• The ATF paused the DL2 program last year following criticism from gun rights groups, with ATF Director Robert Cekada supporting the pause to evaluate the program's effectiveness and address concerns about data disclosure.
• Under the current DOJ leadership, including Cekada and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the agencies have embraced the gun industry, proposing over 30 regulatory changes to reduce burdens on sellers and manufacturers, which gun control advocates argue threatens public safety.
• Brady views the withholding of DL2 documents as part of a broader pattern of the administration favoring the gun industry at the expense of transparency and public safety.