Iowa Senators Demand Accountability from ATF Officials Over Alleged Misclassification Scheme
Republican Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley from Iowa are urging the Justice Department to investigate officials at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) for allegedly being involved in an “illegal scheme.” The senators claim that these officials misclassified administrative positions as law enforcement roles, allowing them to receive higher pay and benefits that they did not deserve.
In a letter addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, ATF Acting Director Daniel Driscoll, and DOJ Assistant Attorney General for Administration Jolene Ann Lauria, the senators expressed their concerns about wasteful spending. They stated, “As a result of ATF’s illegal conduct, staff assigned to these positions performed administrative work but unlawfully received enhanced law enforcement pay and benefits, wasting millions of taxpayer dollars.”
Whistleblowers and several investigations—including those by the Office of Special Counsel and ATF’s own internal affairs—support the claims made by the senators. The investigations point to evidence of gross waste, fraud, and misconduct within the agency.
The allegations suggest that ATF officials were hiring law enforcement agents for human resources roles while keeping their classifications as law enforcement officers. This practice led to unjustified increases in pay and benefits.
According to the internal affairs report completed in early 2024, the evidence indicates substantial misconduct within the agency’s Office of Human Resources and Professional Development (HRPD). The report highlights actions by Deputy Assistant Director Lisa Boykin and HR Division Chief Ralph Bittelari as particularly questionable.
The senators noted that Bittelari allegedly tried to fraudulently certify a wellness role as a law enforcement position, despite receiving warnings from within the bureau. This led to higher pay for roles that did not require law enforcement powers, hampering the ATF’s overall mission.
Moreover, they presented evidence showing that around 100 field-level officers were relocated to the ATF headquarters in Washington, D.C., to work in human resources and professional development positions while still receiving law enforcement salaries. The lawmakers emphasized that this misclassification undermined both the agency’s effectiveness and cost taxpayers a significant amount of money.
After an audit, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) suspended ATF’s classification authority due to these practices. Despite this, the ATF continued to categorize HR positions as law enforcement jobs, resulting in further financial waste.
The senators pointed out that this misclassification allowed unqualified individuals to take over leadership roles, leaving experienced ATF employees without opportunities for advancement. They estimated that the scheme cost taxpayers nearly $20 million over the audited five-year period.
Grassley and Ernst warned that whistleblowers have claimed the estimated costs might be much higher—potentially “in the hundreds of millions of dollars.” They called for accountability for Boykin and Bittelari, noting that both remain employed at the Department of Justice.
Grassley expressed frustration, stating, “The Biden administration’s ATF illegally lined employees’ pockets with tens-of-millions of taxpayer dollars. These Washington bureaucrats must answer for their misconduct; if heads don’t roll, nothing will change.”
Ernst agreed, emphasizing, “It is unacceptable that the Biden administration looked the other way while ATF bureaucrats knowingly defrauded taxpayers to pad their salaries. These desk jockeys pretending to be law enforcement officers are about to get a crash course in the law.”
Both senators are pressing for Attorney General Pam Bondi to send a clear message: federal employees are not above the law, and any attempt to misuse taxpayer dollars is a crime that must be addressed.
As this story unfolds, it remains to be seen how the Justice Department will respond to these serious allegations and whether any actions will be taken against those accused. The outcome may serve as a pivotal moment for accountability within federal agencies and the protection of taxpayer interests.
