David Chipman
{{Short description|American law enforcement officer (born 1966)}}
{{use mdy dates |date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = David Chipman
| image = David H. Chipman.jpg
| caption = David Chipman during a congressional hearing on May 26, 2021
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1966}}
| birth_place = Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = American University (BS)
{{nowrap|Johns Hopkins University (MS)}}
}}
David Howland Chipman (born 1966){{Cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Chipman%20-%20SJC%20Questionnaire.pdf |work=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary |title=Questionnaire for Non-Judicial Nominees: David Howland Chipman |access-date=August 19, 2019}} is an American former ATF agent and gun control advocate who was most recently the nominee to serve as the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the Biden administration; however, this nomination was withdrawn.{{Cite web| url=https://www.npr.org/2021/09/09/1025428281/biden-withdraw-david-chipman-nominee-atf |title=Biden Withdraws His Nominee To Lead The ATF |date=September 9, 2021|website=npr.org|publisher=National Public Radio |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909181532/https://www.npr.org/2021/09/09/1025428281/biden-withdraw-david-chipman-nominee-atf |archive-date=September 9, 2021 }}
Early life and education
Chipman was born in Hanover, New Hampshire, and raised in Oakland County, Michigan. After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in justice from American University and a Master of Science in management from Johns Hopkins University.{{Cite web|title=David H. Chipman|url=https://www.congress.gov/116/meeting/house/110001/witnesses/HHRG-116-JU00-Bio-ChipmanD-20190925.pdf|website=congress.gov}}
Career
Chipman spent 25 years as a special agent in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, monitoring firearm trafficking from Virginia to New York City.{{Cite web|author=Paul LeBlanc|title=Biden's planned pick for ATF director a fierce advocate for gun control|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/07/politics/david-chipman-joe-biden-atf-director/index.html |date=April 8, 2021 |access-date=2021-04-08|website=CNN}} After leaving ATF, Chipman became a senior policy advisor at Giffords.{{Cite news|last=Thrush|first=Glenn|date=2021-04-07|title=Biden will nominate David Chipman, an adviser to a top gun control group, as A.T.F. director.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/07/us/biden-david-chipman-atf-director.html|access-date=2021-04-08|issn=0362-4331}} In late-2013, he joined ShotSpotter as the senior vice president of U.S. public safety solutions.{{Cite press release |date=September 19, 2013 |url=https://ir.shotspotter.com/press-releases/detail/92/sst-inc-expands-leadership-team-with-key-management|title=SST, Inc. Expands Leadership Team with Key Management Appointments :: ShotSpotter (SSTI)|website=ShotSpotter}} Chipman was nominated as director of ATF in April 2021, following an announcement from President Joe Biden.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/04/08/985198566/biden-to-nominate-gun-control-advocate-law-enforcement-veteran-to-lead-atf |first=Chloee |last=Weiner |date=April 8, 2021 |title=Biden To Nominate Gun Control Advocate, Law Enforcement Veteran To Lead ATF |website=NPR |access-date=August 19, 2021 }} On April 12, 2021, his nomination was sent to the Senate.{{Cite web|url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/12/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-9/|title=Nominations Sent to the Senate|date=April 12, 2021|website=The White House}} On May 26, 2021, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.{{Cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/05/19/2021/nominations |title=Nominations |date=May 26, 2021 |work=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary }} The committee deadlocked on his nomination in a party-line vote on June 24, 2021.{{cite web |title=PN274 — David H. Chipman — Department of Justice 117th Congress (2021-2022) |url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/117th-congress/274?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22chipman%22%2C%22chipman%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=1 |website=US Congress | date=September 13, 2021 |access-date=25 May 2022}} On September 9, 2021, the White House announced that it would withdraw Chipman's nomination due to opposition to his stances on gun control.{{cite web |title=Nominations and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/09/13/nominations-and-withdrawal-sent-to-the-senate-2/ |website=The White House |date=September 13, 2021 |access-date=25 May 2022}}
Alleged presence at the Waco siege
During his confirmation hearing, photos of David Chipman being present at the ruins of the Mount Carmel Center following the Waco Siege began to circulate online after being published by multiple news outlets.{{Cite web |last=Admin |date=2021-04-13 |title=Biden Nominee To Head ATF Was Involved In Waco Massacre, Oklahoma City Bombing, Ruby Ridge and Fast & Furious |url=https://dailyinformer.com/2021/04/12/biden-nominee-to-head-atf-was-involved-in-waco-massacre-oklahoma-city-bombing-ruby-ridge-and-fast-furious/ |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=Daily Informer |language=en-US}} Chipman later denied being the man present in the photo, and it was said in Justice Department Records that the photo was taken on April 19, 1993, and that Chipman was not sent to the site until early May.{{Cite web |title=Fact-check: Was ATF nominee David Chipman at the Waco siege of 1993? |url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/politifact/2021/06/01/atf-david-chipman-branch-davidian-waco-tx-fact-check/7491203002/ |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=Austin American-Statesman |language=en-US}}