New FBI Director Kash Patel will also be named acting head of the ATF, official says

New FBI Director Kash Patel to lead ATF, sparking concerns over gun regulations and Second Amendment rights.

New FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to be named the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a Justice Department official said Saturday (February 22, 2025).

Mr. Patel could be sworn in next week, the official said, putting Mr. Patel in charge of two of the Justice Department’s largest agencies in an unusual arrangement that raises questions about the future of the bureau that has long drawn the ire of conservatives.

The Justice Department official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the move before it’s announced publicly. White House officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday (February 22, 2025) evening.

Mr. Patel was sworn in Friday (February 21, 2025) as FBI director after winning Senate approval despite Democrats’ concerns about the steadfast Trump ally’s plans to radically overhaul the FBI.

ATF is a separate agency with about 5,500 employees and is responsible for enforcing the nation’s laws around firearms, explosives and arson. Among other things, it’s in charge of licensing federal firearms dealers, tracing guns used in crimes and analysing intelligence in shooting investigations.

The move was first reported Saturday (February 22, 2025) by ABC News.

The news comes days after Attorney General Pam Bondi fired the ATF’s top lawyer. Ms. Bondi said in a Fox News interview Friday (February 21, 2025) that she fired chief counsel Pamela Hicks because the agency was “targeting gun owners.” Ms. Hicks, who spent more than 20 years as a Justice Department lawyer, said in a social media post that being ATF chief counsel was the “highest honour” of her career.