U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General December 23, 2013 The Honorable Tammy Baldwin United States Senate 717 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator Baldwin: Thank you for your letter dated December 12, 2013, expressing concern about storefront operations that have been conducted by special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Milwaukee and several other cities. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) recently initiated a review of the implementation by the Department and ATF of recommendations we made in our September 2012 report, A Review of Operation Fast and Furious and Related Matters (Fast and Furious Report]. The OIG made several recommendations in that report designed to increase oversight of ATF operations, and the Department and ATF have reported to us several measures that have been taken to implement the recommendations. Our review will evaluate the progress of these measures and, as part of this assessment, will consider ATF activities and operations that were initiated subsequent to these measures being implemented, including Operation Fearless in Milwaukee. We are in the process of reviewing additional information regarding the ATF storefront operations you referenced in your letter. Following such review, we intend to expand the scope of our ongoing review, and we will determine the most effective way for the OIG to review the additional allegations. After we have updated the scope, we will keep you informed of our determination. If you have any questions in the interim, please feel free to contact me or my Chief of Staff Jay Lerner at (202) 514-3435. Sincerely, Michael E. Horowitz Inspector General