The Department of Homeland Security is attempting to backdoor gun registration in the State of Missouri.

According to talk show host Dana Loesch:

"Department of Revenue is working with the Department of Homeland Security to install new hard and software to obtain data on Missouri citizens and transfer this information to DHS and unnamed third parties, says Kinder. Kinder and the Stoddard County Prosecutor today took legal action and held a press conference outlining the infringement on civil liberties as posted by the DoR and DHS. The move by the departments is related to the Real ID.

Griffin went to renew his driver's license and was disturbed by how, and with whom, his information was being shared. Kinder and other lawmakers say that the move violates several Missouri state statutes. Because license offices process CCW endorsements, some claim that this is de facto gun registration."

(Hear the interview with Lieutenant Governor Kinder here.)

I am wondering who in the Missouri Department of Revenue authorized the collection of this data for DHS; clearly this had to come from somewhere in the Nixon Administration. And it is illegal, a violation of state law which forbids the implementation of the Real I.D. Act here. If Nixon himself gave the order he can be impeached, and with the GOP supermajority in the Missouri Congress he would be removed from office. He should be, if he gave that order.

Of course, that is not the reason to pursue this; this is a foul attempt to circumvent the current law and justice must be served. 

Lieutenant Governor Kinder's office issued this release:

Lt. Governor Peter Kinder today hosted a press conference in the Capitol to announce a lawsuit filed over the collection and scanning of private documents by the Missouri Department of Revenue for residents seeking concealed carry gun permits.

The lawsuit was filed Monday by Russ Oliver in Stoddard County. Oliver is Stoddard County's prosecuting attorney. He filed the lawsuit as a private attorney on behalf of Eric Griffin.

"I fully support Mr. Oliver in this important legal action in Stoddard County Circuit Court," Kinder said. "This case has issues of statewide importance implicating serious privacy concerns for law-abiding citizens. These folks have followed the letter of the law and been approved for concealed carry by the proper authorities. They must not be required to share that information with any third parties or the federal government."

Oliver said Mr. Griffin went to his local Department of Motor Vehicles fee office after passing the application process for a concealed carry gun permit. When he refused to let DMV employees scan some of his documentation, he was denied the permit.

Oliver said Griffin acted within his rights. He said the Department of Revenue apparently installed new computer equipment to record the information as part of the federal Real ID Act of 2005.

 But state laws prohibit the department from retaining and collecting these types of documents and from complying with that portion of the Real ID Act. The data the DOR collected was being forwarded to Morpho Trust U.S.A., a Georgia company that specializes in partnering with state and federal governmental agencies.

 "There are important privacy concerns for concealed carry holders who justly fear their information being sent to a third party or the federal government," Oliver said. "Missouri law makes it clear that what is going on here is illegal, and serves no legitimate purpose since the county sheriff is solely charged with the duty of determining applicants' eligibility for the endorsement."

The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order to stop the Department of Revenue from collecting and sharing the private data and declare their actions unlawful.

The question becomes, who issued the orders?

The Missouri Department of Revenue is run by Brian K. Long. I doubt Mr. Long did this on his own authority.

I sent an e-mail asking who gave the order. We shall see if they reply.

This will have legs - long legs.  Missouri cannot be alone in this scandal; doubtless numerous other states have complied with DHS requests as well. We are seeing but the tip of the iceberg.


Timothy Birdnow is a St. Louis-based writer. His website is www.tbirdnow.mee.nu