The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms’ (ATF) chief legal counsel was fired by Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, the former ATF official confirmed on social media.
“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,” Pamela Hicks posted on her LinkedIn page on Thursday, confirming the termination.
Hicks had served as ATF’s chief counsel since 2021 under the Biden administration, and served as deputy chief counsel for ATF under President Donald Trump’s first administration. She spent 23 years overall as an attorney within the Department of Justice (DOJ), she posted to LinkedIn.
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,” Hicks continued in her LinkedIn post. “I thank my colleagues for their friendship and partnership over the years.”
A source familiar with the termination said Hicks was escorted out of the ATF building upon her termination.
“ATF respects the rights of all our employees,” ATF told Fox News Digital when asked about Hicks’ termination. “As a general policy, ATF does not comment on personnel matters, including but not limited to, specific personnel issues, actions, or the existence of ongoing investigations.”
The firing comes after a handful of senior DOJ officials have quit or been fired in recent days. At least seven federal prosecutors quit in February over the Trump DOJ ordering the corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams be dropped, while Trump on Tuesday ordered the DOJ to “clean house” of all Biden-era U.S. attorneys.
For the everyday gun owner, it’s important to stay informed about any potential regulatory changes or legal shifts that may come as a result of such leadership changes. While it might not immediately change day-to-day gun ownership, the long-term effects could shape future legislation, regulation, and enforcement, especially if new leadership is aligned with more restrictive or more lenient policies.
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According to GOA Bondi may not be what we as gun owners are looking for though.
In an article from 1-10-25
While she has taken some pro-gun stances and actions in the past, GOA proudly holds a “NO-COMPROMISE” stance on the Second Amendment – which is why we want to call attention to some red flags in her record as Florida Attorney General:
Pam Bondi has praised the Parkland gun control – which included “red flag” gun confiscation orders, a gun ban for 18-20 year olds, and a useless bump stock ban.
In her capacity as Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi both defended Parkland’s 18-20 year old gun ban AND fought to uphold Florida’s unconstitutional ban on open carry.
Pam Bondi also helped unrepentant then-Governor Rick Scott draft a “gun violence restraining order” – a.k.a. a gun confiscation law in Florida.
Overall, her track record of protecting the Second Amendment can be described, at best, as a mixed bag.
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.
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.