In Support of David Chipman

The Honorable Richard J Durbin
Chairman
US Senate Judiciary Committee
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Durbin,

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) plays a critical role in ensuring the safety of residents throughout cities across America by stopping illegal guns from entering our communities, investigating the trafficking of illegal guns, and regulating the gun industry to root out bad actors. In 2020, we experienced historic levels of gun violence in our cities, surging gun sales, and an escalating crisis with the rise in popularity of illegal ghost guns. The ATF has had only one Senate-confirmed director since 2006, and he served from 2013 to 2015. At this moment, mayors need a strong leader at the ATF to work in tandem with us to curb gun violence in our cities. The undersigned mayors urge the Senate to confirm David Chipman as Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

David Chipman is a dedicated law enforcement professional with over 30 years experience in public safety, including as a special agent with the ATF. As a father, public servant, gun owner, decorated law enforcement professional and gun safety expert, he has spent his career serving the public, combating violent crime, and striving to make our nation and our communities safer every day. 

Throughout his 25-year career at ATF, Chipman served as an investigative responder providing assistance to state and local authorities in the aftermath of significant bombings and arsons. As a Certified Explosives Specialist, he investigated some of the most serious incidents of terrorism of the decade, including the World Trade Center Bombing in 1993 and Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995. In 1996, he also investigated a series of racially motivated arsons that destroyed a number of predominantly Black houses of worship in Boligee, Alabama, an investigation that ultimately brought the perpetrators to justice.

Chipman was promoted to multiple leadership positions at ATF, including Division Chief of the Office of Public and Governmental Affairs in 2012. In his supervisory roles, David managed hundreds of agents, partnered with dozens of communities and was responsible for the execution of ATF’s operational budget in all 25 field divisions and an annual budget in excess of $150 million. 

Chipman is uniquely qualified to lead the ATF, and he will be a committed leader for an agency that has primarily relied on interim directors for the past fifteen years. As mayors elected to ensure the safety of our residents, his confirmation will benefit our efforts to curb the rising rates of gun violence and continued trafficking of illegal guns. For these reasons, we respectfully urge the Senate to confirm David Chipman as the Director of the ATF. 

Sincerely,