Jasper County Sheriff: Would deny FBI CCW records request

Jasper County Sheriff Randee Kaiser is responding to reports that the FBI is planning to come to Missouri counties to audit concealed carry weapons records. Read his statement below:

“I have received numerous questions over the past couple of weeks regarding the matter of the FBI requesting to audit Missouri Sheriff’s CCW records. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office has not been contacted. I can assure you that I stand firm, along with the other 114 Sheriffs in Missouri, in that I would deny the federal government, or anyone else for that matter to view CCW records. When the Missouri law was written it was very clear that there is no provision for access to the list of who holds a CCW permit. I swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of this State. You can count on me as your Sheriff to always honor that oath. Thank you for your continued support. Sheriff Randee Kaiser.”

His comments come after Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt wrote a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray demanding that they cease their attempts to illegally obtain information from local sheriffs on Missourians who have concealed carry permits.

Schmitt said a Missouri law prohibits sharing the confidential lists collected by sheriff departments with federal, state or private entities. He also contended allowing federal agents to access the permit records would violate the Second Amendment.

In 2013, the Legislature passed a gun law that included a provision transferring responsibility for issuing identification cards for concealed gun permits from driver’s license clerks to local sheriffs after revelations that state agencies provided permit records to federal employees investigating fraud.

The Associated Press contributed to this report