Two sources told Fox News Digital on Saturday that FBI Director Kash Patel is slated to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This development follows Patel’s recent confirmation as the ninth FBI director by a narrow Senate vote.
In related moves, former FBI Director Christopher Wray stepped down at the close of President Biden’s term, and Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed ATF general counsel Pamela Hicks on Thursday. In a LinkedIn post confirming her departure, Hicks wrote that she had received official notice from the U.S. Attorney General about her removal as ATF Chief Counsel and termination from the Department of Justice.
Hicks, who had served as ATF’s chief counsel since 2021 under the Biden administration—and previously held the role of deputy chief counsel during President Trump’s first term—spanned a 23‑year career at the DOJ. Reflecting on her tenure, she said, "Serving as ATF Chief Counsel has been the highest honor of my career and working with the people at ATF and throughout the Department has been a pleasure. I thank my colleagues for their friendship and partnership over the years."
Attorney General Bondi defended the agency’s actions on Thursday, telling Fox News, "These people were targeting gun owners. Not gonna happen under this administration."
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