Mark Kelly Under Pressure to Recuse Himself from Chipman’s ATF Confirmation over Past Gun Control Collaboration

A proclamation in the Arizona House of Representatives urges Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) to recuse himself from the David Chipman vote because of the gun control work he and Chipman have done together.

The proclamation was introduced by state Rep. Quang Nguyen (R-Dist. 1).

Breitbart News possesses a copy of the proclamation, which notes Chipman’s “extensive career” in the gun control lobby, “working with organizations whose mission is to erode the Second Amendment and criminalize law-abiding Americans.”

The proclamation then states that Chipman is still associated with a gun control group founded by Sen. Kelly:

David Chipman currently works as a Senior Policy Advisor at Giffords, a gun control pressure group, founded by U.S. Senator Mark Kelly and his wife, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, to aggressively advocate for radical action, including a ban on commonly owned semi-automatic rifles and the imposition of ruinous legal liability on firearm-related companies.

The proclamation highlights Chipman’s “anti-gun advocacy” and lobbying for a “radical cause,” then calls on the entire Arizona House to oppose Chipman’s confirmation. The proclamation also calls for Sen. Kelly to recuse himself from the Chipman confirmation vote, suggesting, “Chipman’s current employment at Giffords, an organization co-founded by Senator Kelly, raises serious ethical questions regarding this vote and presents a clear and credible conflict of interest that puts the constitutional rights of Americans in jeopardy.”

On May 25, 2021, Breitbart News noted nearly 70 House Republicans were warning their Senate colleagues to oppose Chipman’s nomination, describing him as an “enemy of the Second Amendment.”

The NRA is also warning against Chipman’s confirmation, noting he is an “anti-gun lobbyist and gun ban proponent,” and the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Mark Olivia described Chipman as “a bought and paid-for gun control lobbyist who is still drawing a paycheck from Giffords gun control group.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.