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EXCLUSIVE: Biden ATF promoted agents involved in ‘illegal’ scheme to inflate salaries, GOP senators say
Two Senate Republicans are calling for immediate corrective action at the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), accusing agency officials of substantial misconduct, mismanagement, abuse of power and potential criminal misconduct after supervisory staff allegedly disregarded federal directives and standards in order to inflate their salaries.
What’s more, instead of being disciplined, the supervisory agents who allegedly turned a blind eye to the misconduct – and in some cases allegedly retaliated against whistleblowers trying to expose it – were promoted under the Biden administration, the senators say.
«As a result of ATF’s illegal conduct, ATF staff assigned to these positions performed administrative work but unlawfully received enhanced law enforcement pay and benefits to which they were not entitled, wasting millions of taxpayer dollars,» Iowa’s Republican senators, Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, wrote in a letter transmitted Friday to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and ATF acting Director Daniel Driscoll.
ARMY SECRETARY DAN DRISCOLL TO LEAD ATF, REPLACING FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL
In their letter, the senators cited two internal investigations from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which concluded in 2020 and ultimately suspended the ATF’s classification authority, and the ATF Internal Affairs Division (IAD), which was completed in early 2024. Despite the suspension from OPM in 2020, which was lifted in 2023, ATF officials disregarded OPM directives and continued to re-classify agency employees improperly, according to the senators.
Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are calling for immediate corrective action at the ATF, accusing supervisory agents there of turning a blind eye to a criminal scheme to inflate their salaries and, in turn, getting rewarded for it by the Biden administration. (Getty Images/Fox News)
In their letter, Grassley and Ernst singled out two supervisory agents, Lisa Boykin and Ralph Bittelari, who they say the IAD audit shows not only allowed the continuance of this misclassification scheme – despite knowing it violated OPM directives and standards – but also retaliated against whistleblowers trying to expose it.
Furthermore, the senators claim, Boykin and Bittelari were promoted before President Joe Biden left office and continue to work at the ATF under President Donald Trump.
In one instance, according to the senators, Bittelari and Boykin decided to move forward with the relocation of an ATF law enforcement officer in Phoenix to an administrative position at ATF headquarters in Washington, D.C., despite OPM identifying the position as misclassified. The IAD report allegedly shows Bittelari initially agreed to rescind the job offer, but following a subsequent conversation with Boykin decided to move forward with the unauthorized relocation anyway.
SENATOR WARNS OF ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ JUDICIAL OVERREACH AHEAD OF SCOTUS SHOWDOWN
Furthermore, the senators alleged in their letter that the IAD report shows Bittelari attempted to hide the «unlawful assignment» by submitting the promotion directly to payroll for processing.
During another instance when Bittelari sought to improperly classify a position description for the chief of ATF’s Workforce Wellness and Services Division (WWSD) as law enforcement, the senators said a human resources classification specialist was threatened with insubordination after recusing herself from the matter and sending an email notifying staff it was a violation of OPM directives and standards.
The senator’s letter also highlighted Boykin’s «troubling lack of candor» regarding the installation of the chief of WWSD. According to the senators, Boykin told IAD investigators she was unsure if the chief of WWSD had been installed prior to the position description ever being adequately approved. However, the senators said, Boykin’s emails showed the individual attended meetings and functions with Boykin as WWSD chief prior to receiving approval, and a draft position description was created jointly by the pair weeks before the official WWSD chief position description was approved.
«The findings in the IAD report present clear evidence that corrective action must be taken for, at minimum, Ms. Boykin’s and Mr. Bittelari’s gross misconduct,» the senators wrote. «Yet, the Biden ATF and DOJ leadership not only failed to hold Boykin or Bittelari accountable for their gross misconduct, but legally protected whistleblower disclosures provided to our offices show these career DOJ bureaucrats were promoted after the conclusion of the IAD investigation that harshly criticized their actions.»
The senators point out in their letter that Boykin was promoted to chief diversity officer under Biden, but in January 2025 her title was switched to «Senior Executive.» Meanwhile, the senators also pointed out Bittelari was promoted to senior advisor at the Justice Department’s Justice Management Division (JMD), and later acting deputy director of human resources within JMD.
ATF ACCUSED OF ‘CIRCUMVENTING’ TRUMP ORDER TO PLACE DEI STAFF ON PAID LEAVE
«In closing, the findings in the IAD and OPM audit reports further substantiate the claims whistleblowers made to our offices that senior ATF bureaucrats, Ms. Boykin and Mr. Bittelari, engaged in gross and substantial waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct at the expense of taxpayers in furtherance of ATF’s illegal misclassification scheme, retaliated against whistleblowers for exposing it, and then were promoted for it,» stated Grassley and Ernst’s letter to Bondi and Driscoll.
«Their complete disregard for the law despite being ‘fully aware of the potential consequences’ show Boykin and Bittelari should not have leadership positions at the Justice Department or its components.»
The ATF has previously come under fire for «circumventing» a directive by President Donald Trump to curbing DEI efforts at federal agencies. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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In addition to calling for corrective action, Grassley and Ernst requested that no later than May 23 the Justice Department submit a response on how it plans to address the issues laid out in the IAD report and their letter.
The Justice Department declined to comment for this article, while the ATF did not respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiries.
Senate,Republicans,Chuck Grassley,Politics,Second Amendment,Iowa
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El 80% de las empresas de Estados Unidos en Uruguay destaca clima de negocios pero piden mejora del acceso a mercados
La agencia de promoción Uruguay XXI presentó los resultados de una encuesta dirigida a empresas de origen estadounidense instaladas en el país, con el objetivo de “comprender con mayor profundidad sus necesidades y dinámicas del mercado”. El 79% se mostró satisfecha con el mercado uruguayo, aunque marca algunos desafíos. El gobierno, en tanto, prepara un proyecto de ley para reducir las trabas.
La mayor parte de las empresas estadounidense en Uruguay son del sector servicios (57%), seguidas del rubro de bienes (23%) y del comercio y logística (20%).
El 79% de las empresas participantes se mostraron satisfechas o muy satisfechas con el clima de negocios de Uruguay: lo consideraron un “buen lugar” para desarrollar sus actividades empresariales. Lo que destacan del país es su estabilidad macroeconómica y su seguridad institucional y jurídica, como elementos centrales. En particular, destacan la certeza y previsibilidad de las normas del país, la independencia e imparcialidad judicial, la igualdad ante la ley y el debido proceso legal, así como el cumplimiento de decisiones judiciales.
Al ser consultadas por los factores por los cuales están insatisfechos, un 40% responde que el tiempo para realizar los trámites es uno de los principales problemas. Le siguen las condiciones de acceso a mercados y el acceso a talento calificado.
Una de las preguntas de la encuesta es qué aspectos deberían ser priorizados por Uruguay para mejorar el clima de inversiones para la empresa y, en concreto, para que aumente la inversión. El 14,47% respondió que hay que mejorar las “condiciones de acceso a mercados” y otro porcentaje similar pidió “exoneraciones e incentivos fiscales”. En un tercer escalón aparecen las condiciones macroeconómicas del país.
Las empresas contactadas por la consultora PwC fueron 244 y participaron 61en total.
El ministro de Economía, Gabriel Oddone, y el embajador de Estados Unidos en Uruguay, Lou Rinaldi, participaron de la convocatoria. “Esta iniciativa forma parte de lo que es la visión del gobierno. El 70% de la inversión en Uruguay es inversión privada y de esa una parte importante es inversión que viene del exterior. Por tanto conocer cuáles son sus desafíos y preocupaciones es un tema central”, dijo en un discurso dado este lunes.
“Estamos buscando permanentemente la manera de resolver algunos problemas que somos conscientes que tenemos, que los hemos conversado con el gobierno norteamericano a los efectos de seguir generando una mayor apertura de la economía”, señaló.
El ministro Oddone destacó el acuerdo entre el Mercosur y la Unión Europea y la posible incorporación de Uruguay al Acuerdo Transpacífico. Además, consideró que el gobierno también está contemplando la captación de talento.
Otro de los anuncios del ministro de Economía de Uruguay fue un proyecto de ley que enviará en mayo al Parlamento para mejorar la competitividad del país. Oddone definió que el “corazón” de la ley es facilitar el comercio.
“Si no estamos en condiciones de tener un desarrollo potente de ventanillas únicas y no tenemos un desarrollo potente de la certificación de un conjunto de trabas burocráticas que hacen que haya redundancia de la presentación de documentación y que haya varios lugares para interactuar, es un problema de una barrera a la entrada para la inversión”, describió Oddone.
El ministro de Economía describió que el “foco” del gobierno está en este tema. Adelantó que el proyecto de ley que se va a presentar será “complejo” porque tocará “varios intereses”, lo que generará polémica. “Espero que el Parlamento acompañe, si es que efectivamente todos tenemos un compromiso de abrir la economía y de ser un país más competitivo”, señaló.
Oddone agregó que, en parte, con estas reformas legales se podrá “retener puestos de trabajo” y generar nuevas oportunidades de empleo en el país.
corresponsal: Desde Montevideo
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Even as Iran expands attacks across the Persian Gulf, several of the countries directly targeted are still refusing to join the fight against Iran, opting instead for restraint and diplomacy. Gulf governments say their priority is defending their territory while preventing a wider conflict that could destabilize the region and global energy markets.
When asked by Fox News White House senior correspondent Peter Doocy about Iran’s strikes on Gulf states Monday, Donald Trump said experts had not anticipated Tehran would target neighboring countries.
«Nobody. Nobody. The greatest experts — nobody thought they were going to hit,» Trump said when Doocy asked about Iranian attacks targeting Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait.
TRUMP SEEKS WARSHIPS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO HELP SECURE STRAIT OF HORMUZ
A plume of smoke rises from the Zayed Port following a reported Iranian strike in Abu Dhabi on March 1, 2026. Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone campaign in the Gulf has killed three people and wounded 58 in the United Arab Emirates since it began, Emirati authorities said on March 1, the day after the U.S. and Israel launched a nationwide attack on Iran killing its supreme leader. (Ryan Lim / AFP via Getty Images)
Tehran widened the conflict after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian oil facilities earlier this month, expanding retaliation to Gulf energy infrastructure and shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.
Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) recorded at least 25 Iranian attacks against shipping in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz since Feb. 28, as well as strikes targeting energy infrastructure across several Gulf states.
«Tehran targeted Gulf energy infrastructure and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz seeking to raise the costs of the war for the U.S. and its regional partners,» said Luca Nevola, ACLED’s senior analyst for Yemen and the Gulf.
Jacob Olidort, chief research officer at the America First Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital that, «Since Operation Epic Fury began, our Gulf partners have responded with an unprecedented unified front against threats posed by the Iranian regime,» he said, adding that their actions have focused on stopping attacks rather than expanding the war. «This reflects not just a desire to stabilize the region but also a recognition that the U.S. military’s success is what makes that possible.»
Foreign workers look at a tall plume of black smoke ascends following an explosion in the Fujairah industrial zone on March 3, 2026. Iran’s strikes on Gulf neighbors since February 28, following the U.S.-Israeli attack, forced the UAE to shut its airspace, blindsiding travelers who thought they were headed to one of the region’s safest holiday destinations. (Fadel Senna / AFP via Getty Images)
Salman Al-Ansari, a Saudi geopolitical researcher, told Fox News Digital that Riyadh is focusing on maintaining global market stability. «Riyadh is exercising maximum restraint at the moment, but the real question is how long that restraint can last,» Al-Ansari said.
Al-Ansari pointed to a long-standing Saudi strategic philosophy. «Over a hundred years ago, the founder of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz Al Saud, said: ‘The living do not fight the dead.’ Perhaps Riyadh is following this doctrine, at least until further developments unfold,» he said.
Qatar has taken a similar approach. «The State of Qatar’s policies always seek to de-escalate conflicts,» a Qatari official told Fox News Digital. «Qatar is not a party to this war, and we strongly believe that the violence must end through negotiations. At the same time. Qatar continues to defend its country and sovereignty following the Iranian attacks.»
IRAN WAR, 11 DAYS IN: US CONTROLS SKIES, OIL SURGES AND THE REGION BRACES FOR WHAT’S NEXT
Firefighters work in Muharraq, Bahrain, after reported Iranian strikes triggered a fire at fuel tanks near the airport, on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Bahrain Information Ministry/Reuters)
Another factor shaping Gulf restraint is a regional policy of refusing to allow their territory to be used for attacks on Iran. Some U.S. military experts say the Gulf’s hesitation is also tied to long-standing concerns about Washington’s reliability in the region.
Vice Adm. Robert S. Harward, a former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told Fox News Digital that inconsistent U.S. policies have eroded trust among Gulf partners. «Our policies in the Middle East have been more cyclical than a revolving door,» Harward said. «We have failed to earn the trust and confidence of our Gulf partners over the last decade and a half. And that lack of trust and confidence has only exacerbated the threat from Iran to the region.»
The now retired vice admiral said Gulf governments are weighing the risks of escalation carefully. «As these countries consider whether to go on the offensive, they are worried about what happens when we leave,» he said. «Admittedly, these countries are challenged to defend themselves against a country of 90 million without us.»
Regional analysts say Gulf leaders are concerned that if even one country joins the fighting, the conflict could quickly engulf the region.
Abdullah Aljunaid, a Bahraini analyst, told Fox News Digital that if one member of the Gulf Cooperation Council enters the war, it could drag the entire bloc with it. «If any member of the GCC decided to join this offensive, it would obligate the rest of the GCC countries to join at the same time,» Aljunaid said.
The consequences could extend far beyond the battlefield. «You could imagine what the oil prices would be. We are definitely talking about north of $150 per barrel,» he claimed.
HEGSETH BLASTS BRITS, SAYS IRAN’S CHAOTIC RETALIATION HAS DRIVEN ITS OWN ALLIES ‘INTO THE AMERICAN ORBIT’
Iranian flags fly as fire and smoke from an Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot rise, following Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2025. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
Aljunaid said Gulf leaders are also wary of open-ended military campaigns in the region. «Past experiences show that every time military action is initiated in the region, it never ends according to what was promised,» he said.
Instead, he said Gulf countries are focusing on defensive measures while quietly supporting diplomatic channels, including mediation efforts through Oman.
Lt. Gen. Richard Y. Newton III said Iran made a major strategic mistake by striking Gulf countries. «Iran made a strategic blunder by striking Gulf nations – our allies and friends – with ballistic missiles and drone attacks,» Newton told Fox News Digital.
The retired Air Force commander warned that attacks on key infrastructure such as oil fields or desalination plants could push Gulf states toward a more aggressive response.
«I’m inclined to believe there may potentially be one or two nations in the region inclined to join with the U.S. by going offensive against Iran,» Newton said. «That is certainly within the realm of possibility in the coming weeks.»
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An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps speedboat sails in the Persian Gulf during an IRGC marine parade marking Persian Gulf National Day near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Bushehr, Iran, on April 29, 2024. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Newton added that the long-term objective for the U.S. and its partners should be preventing Iran from threatening regional stability and global shipping routes. «That includes achieving maritime dominance in the Persian Gulf and setting the conditions for safe passage for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,» he said.
For now, however, Gulf leaders appear determined to contain the conflict rather than escalate it, even as Iranian strikes have already reached their territory.
The UAE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
war with iran,saudi arabia,middle east foreign policy,wars,israel,donald trump
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Trump admin asks Spanberger, Virginia officials not release illegal charged with groping high school girls
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The Trump Department of Homeland Security has requested that Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger and officials in immigrant-friendly Fairfax County not release an adult illegal alien charged with groping several high school girls on school grounds.
Illegal alien Israel Flores Ortiz, 19, is facing nine counts of assault and battery for groping girls at a Fairfax County high school he was attending. Victims and parents have alleged that Ortiz approached about 12 girls from behind in crowded hallways, grabbed them between the legs, and groped their private areas, according to 7News.
The outlet reported that parents said the incidents have occurred throughout the school year. Ortiz attends the school and is in the eleventh grade, per 7News.
According to DHS, Ortiz illegally entered the U.S. in 2024 and was released into the country by the Biden administration.
ANGEL MOM WHOSE 13-YEAR-OLD SON WAS EXECUTED BY ILLEGAL GANG MEMBER URGES INCOMING DHS CHIEF TO ACT
DHS is calling on Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (right) not to release 19-year-old illegal alien Israel Flores-Ortiz (left), who is charged with assault and battery after allegedly groping high school girls. (Bryan Woolston/AP Photo; DHS)
He is currently being held without bond in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, which is operated by the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Stacey Kincaid.
According to the sheriff’s office website, the office does not honor ICE administrative detainers — requests to hold inmates — unless the detainer is accompanied by a criminal judicial order.
Further, as governor, Spanberger has rolled back state policies mandating cooperation with ICE. Spanberger has said that «when state and local law enforcement are pulled away from upholding our Virginia laws to do the job of federal agents, it weakens their ability to deepen trust — contributing to a culture of fear and distrust that makes it harder for officers to do their jobs.»
In a later executive order, Spanberger added that Virginia law enforcement efforts «focus on upholding the rule of law, investigating and stopping criminal conduct, and protecting public safety, not the administrative enforcement of civil status.»
DHS NABS AFGHAN MAN ADMITTED UNDER BIDEN AFTER CONVICTION FOR EXPOSING HIMSELF TO MINOR
A Fairfax County school bus. (Getty)
In a Monday statement, DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said that the agency is «calling on Fairfax County sanctuary politicians to NOT release this predator from jail back into our communities to assault more teenage women.»
Bis slammed Spanberger for ending former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s policy of cooperation with ICE, saying it is «siding with criminal illegal aliens over American citizens.»
«This 19-year-old criminal illegal alien should NOT have been attending a Virginia high school and allowed to prey on innocent teenage girls,» Bis said, adding, «This is yet another example of the Biden Administration’s failed open border policies.»
In response, Allyson Conroy, a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, told Fox News Digital that Ortiz currently «remains in the custody of the Sheriff’s Office in the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.»
Conroy said that «while it is still too early in the process to know the outcome of his case, ICE has been notified of Ortiz’s location at the ADC» and «they are able to execute their detainer by responding to the ADC and taking Ortiz into custody if and when he is ordered released.»
Conroy emphasized that the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office «does not obstruct or prevent ICE from acting on their civil detainers.»
Meanwhile, Stephanie Lundquist-Arora, a mother of three students in the Fairfax County School System, told Fox News that «this entire horrifying situation is the direct consequence of policy with really dysfunctional priorities,» which she said are attempting to «shield adult illegal immigrants at the expense of children’s safety, even in their public schools.»
ICE BUSTS HUMAN SMUGGLING RING THAT KIDNAPPED FAMILY, SEXUALLY ASSAULTED PREGNANT WOMAN
Fairfax County, Virginia, Adult Detention Center. (Fairfax County)
Lundquist-Arora claimed officials at the high school waited two weeks to inform parents, and that the move only came after parental pressure.
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In an emailed statement, Fairfax County Public Schools said that while it is «unable to comment on specifics due to federal and state privacy laws, we prioritize student and staff safety and we fully investigate any time someone shares that an incident has occurred at school, or that they do not feel safe at school.»
The public school system added that it is «grateful to our law enforcement partners who continue to work swiftly and thoroughly when there are safety concerns in our schools» and that the «safety of all FCPS students and staff remains a top priority.»
Spanberger’s office and the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Taylor Penley contributed to this report.
abigail spanberger,immigration,migrant crime,sanctuary cities,illegal immigrants,virginia,high school
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