First it was the Missouri Department of Revenue providing data on the state’s concealed carriers to the Department of Homeland Security. Now, after a full rectal probe by members of the Missouri Legislature’s appropriations committee, someone from Highway Patrol who wears a funny hat — OK, they all do — has finally admitted that they, too, have sent lists of CCW holders to the feds. Twice. Only this time the data went to the Social Security Administration. Wait, isn’t that illegal in The Show Me State? Gosh, illegal is such a black-and-white word . . .

But Social Security? Seriously? From columbiatribune.com:

In November 2011 and again in January, (Col. Ronald K.) Replogle said, an agent of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General received discs with the data. Each time, the agent was unable to read the encryption format and destroyed the discs, Replogle said.

“They said no names were retrieved,” Replogle told the committee this morning. “They do not have those names. They did not disseminate that information, and all that information has been destroyed. We have asked for that documentation of what has happened.”

The data was turned over because the Office of Inspector General is a law enforcement agency, Replogle said. It was done by a mid-level supervisor at the patrol. Replogle said he was not informed of the transfer until four weeks ago.

Oh, well. As long as it’s going to a federal law enforcement agency, I guess that’s OK. Still, why would a federal agency want to know who’s packing heat?

The intention was to cross-check the names on the concealed carry list with the agency’s list of those with disabilities attributed to mental illness to find possible evidence of fraud in the system.

I feel much better now. Wonder if the plan was to cut off disability checks, yank carry licenses or both. Maybe this is some of that “under the radar” stuff Barack was talking about a couple of years back.

Still, there’s that sticky part about the whole thing being in violation of Missouri law.

The frustration level rose again when Andrea Spillars, deputy director of the Department of Public Safety, arrived to explain why she thought what the patrol did was legal and could be done again for federal law enforcement officials.

“Under state statutes the legislature passed, it is a lawful, permissible disclosure,” she said.

Ya know, if Missouri’s gun-toters didn’t know any better, they’d be forgiven for thinking that someone in Washington’s trying to compile a list of the concealed carriers in their state. And if Missouri’s supplied a list of their 185,000 carriers, how many of the other fifty-six states have done the same?

I just hope someone’s brought Governor Jay Nixon up to speed on l’affair de CCW.

“This Department of Revenue and this state of Missouri is not collecting a bunch of un-useful data to send to some sort of magical database someplace to mess with people – it’s not happening, okay?” Nixon said. “They’re just not doing it, I mean, you know that and I know that.”

Being one of those with a Missouri license to carry — and presumably also now an entry on the feds’ various lists, thanks to our diligent, dedicated public servants in Jefferson City — I’d be happy to be one of the first to lend my name to the class action suit that’s sure to be filed against Col. Replogle and Governor Nixon. Besides, there’s nothing I like much more than dealing with lawyers.

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53 COMMENTS

    • Somebody please explain how the Social Security Administration is a LAW ENFORCEMENT agency?

      • Social Security is not a law enforcement agency. However, they have a law enforcement agency under them, called the Office of Inspector General. They investigate Social Security fraud.

  3. TO: All
    RE: Fire, Try, Convict….

    ….and send these miserable bastards to prison.

    They’ll enjoy the ‘exercise’ they get there with the people they put there.

    Regards,

    Chuck(le)
    [The Truth will out…..]

  4. And yet gun owners and CCW holders are called paranoid about new legislation. The laws only apply to the little person/citizen, not to Politicians, Journalists or Celebrities….or maybe I am being paranoid….if so, please, please don’t notify DHS, I do not want to be put on any lists.

  5. Was thinking about moving to Missouri from Illinois. Guess I will take that option off my plate now.

  6. It’s so sad that that the nine most feared words in America have become “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” Oxymoron?

  7. This is exactly why I have never applied for a CCW license and never will. How many stories have we heard lately about he government violating these people’s privacy?

    • You also shouldn’t do any firearms related googling, emailing or read blogs like this, they’re watching.

    • I don’t mean to be fatalistic, but with the new NSA superdata center going up in Utah, you’re probably already on their radar:

      http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/

      Have you ever bought any gun related accessory online? Ever buy from a dealer and filled out a 4473? Ever bought ammo with a credit card? If you’ve done any of the aforementioned, you’re already on the list. If not, do you carry your cellphone when you go to the LGS or the range? Also check.

      Gentlemen, we are talking about a government who thinks that they have to right to assassinate American citizen without due process or a trial. The mask is slowly coming off. Your right to self defense is a natural right. Exercise it with pride. If they start coming for us, then it’s up to you to determine if it’s time to use the skills you’ve learned and practiced.

      • Awlaki was a vile, traitorous bastard and deserved what he got. He was actively supporting a self-declared enemy of the United States. Back in the day, traitors would only get a trial if they were captured, and I have a feeling the phrase, “You’ll get a fair trial and a fine hanging” applied.

        • How about Awlaki’s teen age son? He was killed in a drone strike well after Awlaki himself was taken out.

    • Heck, even Texas doesn’t have open carry (right?). So if your shirt lets a little gun peek out while reaching for the Charmin…..

      Here in NC we have open carry, except…. It’s against the law to go armed to the terror of the public. (Whatever that means to the arresting officer.) And cities and towns are allowed to ban open carry, but I’ve never seen a list of towns that have banned open carry and they don’t post signs.

      Is there a single sane state out there? Nationwide Constitutional Carry NOW! Ban Gun Free Zones TODAY!

  9. They’re wearing the hats wrong. It should be tilted forward so that it covers the eyes and you can’t see out from under it. R. Lee Ermey has several reasons to yell at them. He should do that.

  10. Almost worst is the fact that they’ve been trying to cover all this up. Some people need to lose their jobs, and that’s being generous.

    • One of oh so many.

      Another good one is it’s the only thing that actually *would* have a preventive effect on future school shootings. Just sayin’..

      • Which is exactly why the government is against it. After all, without school shootings and bloody children’s shirts to wave, how would they manipulate the drooling public to allow their tyrannical breaches of law and Constitutional integrity?

  14. With the deepest respect to everyone, penguins will fly out of my dog’s ass before anyone will be arrested let alone convicted of reducing us to societal red haired stepchildren. Holder is still AG and if you forgot, he refused to even investigate the New Black Panther Party for voter intimidation in Philadelphia Pa. (that was caught on video) or that he also facilitated Fast and Furious, which resulted in deaths of OUR guys and involved class 3 weapons supposedly controlled by the NFA . This in-Justice department will only persecute people who have a legal weapon.

    • They violated state law, not federal. There’s a shot that the voters and state legislature could make an issue of this.

  17. MO= State of ‘Misery’.
    Where are the ‘Miserable Missourian’ people saying loudly “we object!” ?

    Disgusting.

    • We’re here, saying it. There are several pro 2A bills in process, and not nearly as many anti gun bills. At the very least, we’re working on getting the age requirement for ccw lowered. I personally am leaning WAY closer to constitutional carry, but that would take a miracle I think. Oh, and I STILL don’t know how Nixon got re-elected!

    • My wife and I both have CCW permits and I just found out about this today. Give us a minute to work on this, will ya?

    • There was a time I wouldn’t have stopped to consider whether the US government was a more harmful and evil entity than Al Qaida. No longer.

    • NO, fifysix OTHER states. for a total of Fifty SEVEN. Where have you been the last 4.5 years? Listening to the Lame Stream Media?

  20. Granted, Obama is not as sharp as many low information voters think. I get the 57 state joke. Was there another time when he said 56 states?

  21. As a long time IT guy, I am a little dubious about the ” unable to read the encryption” statement. After a little googling, I see Missouri does encrypt back up tapes. But, it would be unlikely the IT folks would send the backup tapes without the encryption key. So, probably more to it.
    However, it does seem to me the SS administration would have violated HIPPA rules to perform a cross check of mental health data with any other data. I also believe the HIPPA rules are the major impediment to making mental health info available as input into a NCIS background check?
    Anyone deep into HIPPA compliance knowledge that would be able to sort this out?

    • They are worried about the implications of a single disk with all those names being out there. So they state it was not only encrypted but unable to be opened.
      And we are supposed to believe they didn’t provide the key or bother to request another copy.

    • If California ever sends a list of permit holders to the feds it will be a short list composed of mostly ant gunners like difi and the hollywood crowd. It’s hard for an average joe to get a permit here.

  23. “The intention was to cross-check the names on the concealed carry list with the agency’s list of those with disabilities attributed to mental illness to find possible evidence of fraud in the system.”

    Bull hockey. The intention is either: A. Deny Social Security benefits to people with handgun permits, or B. Someone in S.S. would feed information to propagandists in the media(“OMG! Look at all the crazies who are legally armed!!! We should take away their guns before they go on a rampage just like Sandy Hook!!”)

  24. Scratch MO off the list of states to live in if you own firearms. The list is getting smaller every day.

    • GS650G, I know others will say their state is better, but in reality, MO is pretty liberal (in a good way) compared to other states when it comes to firearms and CC. 37 other states with reciprocity, accidentally carry somewhere wrong, it’s only an infraction. Just passed last year that if you accidentally print or show your weapon (not in a aggressive manner) it’s only an infraction.

      Could it be better, hell yes, but I think they (MO) are getting better every year. Hopefully this year they will make the license 5 years instead of 3, and also get a real open carry (right now it’s very vague).

      From what I read here on TTAG, it seems MO is more firearm friendly then TX!

      Just saying.

  25. NEW UPDATE – Just heard an interview with congressman Luektimeyer – turns out the Social Security Office was doing a JOINT investigation with the ATF!!!!. No lie. This was never mentioned in any of the discussion. The Social Security office dropped the investigation after getting list.

    List was sent on a disc with a letter. Excel file password protected WITH THE PASSWORD ON THE LETTER.

    THIS IS MAJOR – INVESTIGATE YOUR OWNS STATES NOW,.

  26. Know why the Missouri Highway patrol wear that funny hat? It’s to cover up their circumcision scar….

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