(Mr. Keene said the repost of the misleading photo was a mistake, and that he quickly removed the image from social media; Mr. Richardson, by contrast, was present as a young agent during a confrontation between federal agents and members of the David cult ).
But Mr. Richardson, who has been with the ATF for more than 30 years and is expected to retire next year, was not the only bureau official to attend the convention known as the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show, or SHOT. Show. The event typically attracts 55,000 attendees and raises $35 million for the National Shooting Sports Foundation by leasing venues to hundreds of vendors, including several companies selling components for ghost weapons.
In total, 65 ATF employees left this year, eight of whom were assigned to protect the first persons of the bureau. On average, about 55 employees have attended the three-day event annually since 2015, according to a count of attendees provided by the administration.
ATF officials say it is necessary to deploy such a large contingent in the presence of those they regulate to answer technical questions about compliance with federal laws and regulations. But bureau critics say the presence of so many ATF employees symbolizes the agency’s too warm relationship with the industry.
In an interview, Mr. Keane said that he did not consider Mr. Richardson’s presence to confirm his views. Instead, he said he sees it as a good-faith attempt to coordinate the enactment of the ghost weapon rule, the rule banning high-capacity “percussion stocks” later this year, and a new electronic accounting system.
He defended his previous comments about Mr. Biden, saying they were a reaction to the president’s as-yet-unfulfilled threat to pass a law that would strip the arms industry of civil suit immunity.
“I disagree with Marvin, who is doing decent, non-ideological work,” Mr. Keen said.
Ms. Iverson, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said Mr. Richardson was merely reading from a White House Budget Office document when he cited the June deadline for the ghost weapon rule, which was delayed due to the need to sift more than a quarter budget. million public comments. Mr. Iverson said Mr. Richardson assigned 30 ATF staff to handle the largest ever response to a firearms proposal.