ATF Abuses Brought Before Congress A panel of witnesses testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security on abuses they had suffered at the hands of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and of the need for reform. CNSNews.com reports on the testimony of Richard Gardiner, an attorney who is an expert in federal firearms law, in which he stated, “The ATF tends to focus or has a significant focus on trivial, immaterial violations which are unrelated to public safety.” An ATF official defended his bureau’s action, stating that (Federal Firearm) license revocation may be undertaken for any willful violation of the law or regulations, and said that the term “willful” is not defined in the empowering Gun Control Act. The subcommittee is considering legislation to offer options less severe than revocation of a license for lesser violations and unintentional errors and to include a statutory definition of “willful violations.”