By Steve Neavling
The second-in-command at the ATF has resigned under pressure, further deepening a leadership shakeup at the federal agency tasked with enforcing the nation’s gun laws.
Marvin Richardson, a 35-year ATF veteran who had served as deputy director since 2019, resigned Wednesday evening after being given the choice to leave or be removed, according to two people familiar with the matter, USA Today reports. Richardson previously served as the agency’s acting director from June 2021 through April 2022.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on Richardson’s departure, and he could not immediately be reached. His resignation follows the abrupt ouster of FBI Director Kash Patel as ATF’s acting director, who has now been replaced by U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll.
Patel, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was sworn in as acting ATF director in late February, just days after also being sworn in as FBI director. The reason for his removal has not been made public, but a Justice Department official told Reuters on Wednesday that it was not related to his job performance.
U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, who was confirmed in February, is now leading the ATF while continuing in his role at the Pentagon, according to three U.S. officials.
The shakeup has stunned many within the agency.
Meanwhile, Justice Department officials are weighing whether to merge the ATF with the DEA as part of a cost-cutting effort.
Driscoll’s appointment has raised eyebrows among law enforcement officials, given his lack of experience in federal policing. While his Army bio notes deployments to Baghdad and legal work on veterans’ issues, it lists no background in law enforcement. Still, he will now oversee an agency that handles firearm, arson, and explosives investigations nationwide.
Driscoll was commissioned in 2007 as an Armor Officer and led a cavalry platoon in the Army’s 10th Mountain Division during a 2009 deployment to Iraq. After leaving active duty, he earned a law degree from Yale and worked in the university’s Veterans Legal Services Clinic before entering finance and business.
Trump’s second term has been marked by sweeping personnel changes and frequent policy reversals. On Wednesday alone, the administration temporarily lifted tariffs on many countries—less than 24 hours after steep new import taxes had taken effect.
Richardson’s departure adds to the growing leadership void at the ATF. With Driscoll splitting time between two major federal posts and talks of a merger with the DEA underway, the agency’s future direction remains uncertain.
