'Soviet style intimidation': Armed IRS agents raid, close gun shop, US lawmaker says

Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) is demanding answers after he says a group of armed IRS agents raided and temporarily closed a Montana gun shop in Great Falls Wednesday.

Twenty heavily armed federal agents pulled in behind Highwood Creek Outfitters' owner Tom Van Hoose as he arrived at his shop Wednesday morning, KRTV reported.

IRS agents confiscated background check forms from the store that contained sensitive personal information about all customers who ever purchased a gun at the shop. The forms do not include financial information, Rosendale said, calling the act an "egregious breach of privacy" that "showed no regard for federal law."

"There is no circumstance in which 4473s would be necessary in an investigation spearheaded by the IRS," Rosendale said in a letter addressed to ATF Director Steven Dettelbach and IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel.

Rosendale asked the ATF and IRS to "cease conducting these Soviet-style intimidation raids." He also included a list of questions about what spurred the action, setting a June 23 deadline for response.

Van Hoose told the outlet his shop has been surveilled by state and federal agencies for the past two years. He says he believes the actions are part of a pattern.

"The current administration seems hell bent on getting those guns out of the hands of average Americans," Van Hoose said, referring to the style of weapons he sells.

Van Hoose said that though the agents were cordial and professional, he felt "invaded" and lost nearly an entire day's business.

"Given the positions of the Biden Administration, this raid appears to be an attempt to intimidate firearms dealers and owners," Rosendale said in his letter to the leaders of the ATF and the IRS.

"This pattern [of intimidation and harassment] appears to be orchestrated directly from the White House," Rosendale also wrote.

"This is yet another example of the Biden Administration weaponizing federal agencies to target and harass hardworking Americans," Rosendale tweeted Wednesday.

The Great Falls Police Department received notification of the operation and provided security, KTVQ reported.

A spokesperson for IRS Criminal Investigation told the Billlings Gazette they would reach out when more information became available, saying only that "IRS Criminal Investigation was on site as part of their official business." The ATF referred the Gazette's inquiries to the IRS.

TheBlaze reached out to Van Hoose for comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!