Washington – Marvin Richardson, acting director of the Office of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), is being replaced, U.S. officials told CBS News.
It is unclear when the change will be announced. At the moment, the main candidate to replace Richardson is a lawyer from the United States, officials said.
Richardson was appointed deputy director of the agency in June 2021 and could continue as a career agent. He has been with the agency for more than 30 years, according to a biography on the ATF website.
The ATF, which is part of the Department of Justice, has not had a permanent director confirmed by the Senate since 2015.
President Biden last week appointed Steve Dettelbach to lead the ATF on a permanent basis, but will have to be confirmed by the Senate. Richardson is expected to be replaced before the Dettelbach confirmation process begins. Mr Biden said Dettelbach’s record “makes him ready on the first day to run this agency”.
Mr. Biden’s first choice to run the agency, David Chipman, was forced withdraw your nomination in the face of opposition in the Senate. Biden then blamed Republicans for using gun crime “as a point of political discussion instead of taking serious steps to address it.”
Andres Triay contributed to the report.
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