Two Senate Republicans They are seeking immediate corrective action on the Alcohol and Tobacco Bureau, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and agency staff are denounced substantial misconduct, misconduct, abuse of power and potential criminal misconduct after supervisors allegedly ignored federal directives and standards to expand their pay.
Moreover, instead of disciplinary action, supervisors allegedly turned their eyes on fraud, and in some cases retaliated against whistleblowers who attempted to expose it, have been promoted under the Biden administration, the senator says.
“As a result of the ATF’s illegal activities, ATF staff assigned to these positions performed administrative work, but they illegally received the wages and benefits of the enhanced law enforcement agencies they were not entitled to, and millions of taxpayer senators, judicial chairperson Chuck Grassley and Joniernst wrote in a written statement on Friday. US Attorney General Pam Bondy ATF Acting Director Daniel Driscoll.
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In their letter, the senators ceased the ATF Interior Department (IAD), which was completed in early 2024, citing two internal investigations from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which ended in 2020 and ultimately halted the ATF classification authorities.
Senators Chuck Grassleys and Joni Ernst are calling for immediate corrective action at the ATF, accusing supervisors of turning a blind eye to criminal plots to inflate their pay, and accusing them of being rewarded by the Biden administration of the company. (Getty Images/Fox News)
In the letter, Grassley and Ernst picked out two supervising agents, Lisa Boykin and Ralph Bitterali. They show that the IAD audit not only allowed the continuation of this misclassification scheme, but also had retaliation against Whistle Blowers, who wanted to expose it.
Additionally, the senators claim that Boykin and Viterali were promoted before the president. Joe Biden Leave and continue working for the ATF under the President Donald Trump.
In one instance, the senator said Bittelari and Boykin decided that Phoenix ATF law enforcement officials would proceed with the move to managerial positions at ATF headquarters in Washington, D.C., despite identifying the OPM as misclassified. The IAD report is said to indicate that Bittelari first agreed to withdraw the job offer, but following the subsequent conversation with Boykin, he decided to move forward with the fraudulent relocation anyway.
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Additionally, the senators alleged in their letter that the IAD report showed that Bittelari tried to hide the “illegal allocation” by submitting the promotion directly to his salary for processing.
In another example, Bittelari attempted to inappropriately classify the Chief position description of ATF’s Workforce Wellness and Services Division (WWSD). Law enforcementThe senator said the personnel classification experts have been threatened with disobedience after sending an email informing them that it was a violation of the OPM directive and standards.
The Senator’s letter also highlighted Boykin’s “troubling candid lack” regarding the establishment of WWSD chiefs. According to the senator, Boykin told IAD investigators it is unclear whether the WWSD chief was set up before proper approval. However, according to the senator, Boykin’s emails show the individual meetings and meetings attended as Boykin and WWSD Chief before approval, and draft position descriptions were co-created by the pair a few weeks before the official WWSD Chief position description was approved.
“The findings of the IAD Report provide clear evidence that at least corrective actions must be taken against the serious misconduct of Boykin and Viterali,” the senator wrote. “Even so, not only did the leadership of the Biden ATF and DOJ have failed to hold Boykin and Bitterali accountable for serious misconduct, but the legally protected whistleblower disclosure provided to our offices indicates that these career DOJ officials have been promoted after the end of an IAD investigation that criticized the rigorous investigation.”
The senator points out in their letter that Boykin was promoted to Chief Diversity Officer under Biden, but in January 2025 her title was switched to “Senior Executive.” Meanwhile, the senator also noted that Bittelari was promoted to Senior Advisor to the Department of Justice’s Judicial Administration (JMD) and later to Associate Director of Human Resources within the JMD.
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“In the closure, the findings of the IAD and OPM Audits further demonstrate that ATF bureaucrats Boykin and Viterali are further demonstrating the allegations made to our office by senior ATF bureaucrats Boykin and Viterali, who are engaged in gross waste, fraud, abuse and misconduct at the expense of taxpayers at the expense of relying on fraudulent and false schemes for the ATF’s fraudulent miscrease scheme. For that reason, Grassley and Ernst’s letter to Bondi and Drisco said.
“Their complete disregard for the law, despite being fully aware of the potential consequences, shows that Boykin and Viterali should not have leadership positions. Ministry of Justice Or its components. ”
The ATF previously fired fire for “evading” President Donald Trump’s order to curb efforts at federal agencies. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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In addition to seeking corrective action, Grassley and Ernst requested it by May 23rd. Ministry of Justice Please submit an answer about your IAD report and plans to address the issues mentioned in the letter.
The Department of Justice declined to comment on this article, but ATF did not respond to Fox News Digital inquiries.
