CA Attorney General Rob Bonta. (Photo: Kevin Sanders for California Globe)
Calif. Attorney General Leaks Names and Addresses of State’s Legal Gun Owners Following SCOTUS Gun Ruling
‘Vindictive sore loser bureaucrats have endangered people’s lives and invited conflict by illegally releasing confidential private information’
By Katy Grimes, June 29, 2022 7:42 am
Last week the Supreme Court issued a decision striking down a New York gun law that puts unconstitutional restrictions on concealed carry of a gun out in public, as the Globe reported.
Less than one week later, it appears the California Attorney General leaked the state database of names and addresses of the state’s legal gun owners and concealed carry permit holders.
How could this happen – is it accidental or deliberate? California gun owners cheered the Supreme Court’s decision reaffirming that state officials cannot require concealed carry applicants to show “proper cause” and “demonstrate a special need for self-protection distinguishable from that of the general community.”
“The California Department of Justice’s 2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal went live on Monday with publicly-accessible files that include identifying information for those who have concealed carry permits. The leaked information includes the person’s full name, race, home address, date of birth, and date their permit was issued. The data also shows the type of permit issued, indicating if the permit holder is a member of law enforcement or a judge.”
The AG’s Firearms Dashboard Portal is currently down:
The Reload reported they reviewed a copy of the Lost Angeles County database and found 244 judge permits listed in the database including the home addresses, full names, and dates of birth for all of them. “The same was true for seven custodial officers, 63 people with a place of employment permit, and 420 reserve officers.”
Last year Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 171 into law, which allows the state to share personal information of gun owners with gun violence research organizations.
Bill analysis of AB 171 specifies “the DOJ may at its discretion, also disclose specified information, to other nonprofit bona fide research institutions that are accredited by the United State Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation for the study of violence prevention in the matter prescribed. Requires that any material identifying individuals to only be used for research and statistical purposes and prohibits reports or publications derived from the material from identifying any specific individuals. Requires DOJ to establish procedures for these requests and allows researchers to be charged reasonable fees related to their requests.”
The Reload reported that the office of Attorney General Rob Bonta confirmed private information had been exposed and said they are examining the situation.
“We are investigating an exposure of individuals’ personal information connected to the DOJ Firearms Dashboard,” a spokesperson for the office told The Reload. “Any unauthorized release of personal information is unacceptable. We are working swiftly to address this situation and will provide additional information as soon as possible.”
The Reload published a statement from the California Rifle & Pistol Association, which they say “slammed the leak and said it was looking into potential legal action against the state.”
“Vindictive sore loser bureaucrats have endangered people’s lives and invited conflict by illegally releasing confidential private information,” Chuck Michel, CRPA President, told The Reload. “CRPA is working with several legislators and sheriffs to determine the extent of the damage caused by DOJ’s doxing of law abiding gun owners. Litigation is likely.”
Attorney General Bonta announced the new and updated firearms data available through the California Department of Justice (DOJ)’s 2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal in a press release Monday:
“Transparency is key to increasing public trust between law enforcement and the communities we serve. As news of tragic mass shootings continue to dominate the news cycle, leaving many with feelings of fear and uncertainty, we must do everything we can to prevent gun violence. One of my continued priorities is to better provide information needed to help advance efforts that strengthen California’s commonsense gun laws. Today’s announcement puts power and information into the hands of our communities by helping them better understand the role and potential dangers of firearms within our state.”
“Instead, the leaked private information of gun owners is likely to increase the risk criminals will target their homes for burglaries–something the state’s dashboard reports happened 145,377 times in 2020 alone,” the Reload reported.
In a statement following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, Attorney General Bonta said, “We are working with the Governor and the legislature to advance legislation that is both constitutional and will maintain safety for Californians. In the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, and with gun deaths at an all-time high, ensuring that dangerous individuals are not allowed to carry concealed firearms is more important than ever. The data is clear and the consequences are dire — more guns in more places make us less safe. In California, we are committed to passing and defending commonsense, constitutional gun laws that save lives.”
Someone who believes “more guns in more places make us less safe” is likely to have illegally leaked the database of California’s legal gun owners following the landmark Supreme Court decision. And if so, legal recourse is called for immediately.
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Oh, right —— an “accidental” leak that was a “coincidence.” Do I need to say that was sarcasm? I don’t think so. These people are out of control.
YES, absolutely, agree completely: IMMEDIATE legal recourse is a MUST.
Well said , Show !
I hope some hacker does not ‘leak’ personal info on Bonta ,
his family and friends,co-workers, etc.
It would be a shame if he had to feel as exposed and violated as he just made thousands of
Californians feel.
I have news for him, the reason that people need a CCW permit is because not everybody has their own private security guards ,like I am sure he probably does.
We know that Newsom does.
If they are SO against guns, they should not have armed security detail everywhere they go.
Double standard.
6254.21.
(a) No state or local agency shall post the home address or telephone number of any elected or appointed official on the Internet without first obtaining the written permission of that individual.
(b) No person shall knowingly post the home address or telephone number of any elected or appointed official, or of the official’s residing spouse or child, on the Internet knowing that person is an elected or appointed official and intending to cause imminent great bodily harm that is likely to occur or threatening to cause imminent great bodily harm to that individual. A violation of this subdivision is a misdemeanor. A violation of this subdivision that leads to the bodily injury of the official, or his or her residing spouse or child, is a misdemeanor or a felony.
FOUND ON ROB BONTAS WEBSITE
And AB 171 (now law) “allows the State to share personal information of gun owners with ‘gun violence research organizations?'” Well, that’s convenient, isn’t it? (!!!)
As long as CA Atty General Rob Bonta and his like-minded “friends” are still in office, given that it takes A LOT to swallow that this is an accident or a coincidence, there will always be the threat that such a breach will happen again. There MUST be consequences for what has happened here.
So leaking PII info is ok as long as it is dealing with law abiding citizens exercising a constitutionally protected right. If I am not mistaken, the penalty for “mishandling” Personably Identifiable Information(PII) is $5000 per occurrence. Is the AG going to be held accountable? Will anyone in the department that facilitated the publication of PII be held accountable or lose their position or job? I doubt it. In my profession, the state can and will revoke my license ending my business immediately if such a incident occurred. This is becoming a they/us problem, rules for thee not for me.
Democrats are ruthless, lacking morals, values, and real life common sense. It might be a result from the COVID vaccine but I doubt it since Hilary and Bill had these symptoms years ago. Thank you Katy Grimes for all your reporting!
How do we file a Civil lawsuit?!!
More messed up nonsense from the incompetent CADOJ and Attorney General! Talk about sore losers first they trample all over gun owners’ rights under the guise of public safety and then when they get their A$$ kicked in court they resort to crap like this. No LE I knows has any type of respect for the CADOJ and for just this reason. If you look at something like Megan’s Law website which the DOJ is mandated to maintain about sexual offenders in California,, some of these predators don’t even have a photo as part of their online file, the most important piece of any sexual offender’s public file. In Los Angeles alone over 500 sexual offenders on Megan’s Law website did not have a picture. Disgraceful!
I would like to participate in the Class Action Law Suit against the State of California and the Attorney General Rob Bonta for this reckless negligence and poor regard for the safety of the citizens of the State of California. Claims that the unreasonable AB171 allows for this sensitive information to be released for research is completely heinous and jeopardizes the safety and well being of too many law abiding Californians
Can we jail everyone involved in the release?
I second that!!
I would like to write a letter to Attorney General Rob Bonta, what is his address, phone number and e-mail ? If needed, you can leak it to we the readers of this post. ???? Thank you.
Stop voting for any Democrat
What a moron! He leaks info regarding law abiding tax paying citizens that pay his wages!
He’s fired! Vote him out!
It costs money to do the CCP , insurance too.
They have a plan but now it will backfire on them .
Leak my ass! The Leaks are in office!
Yes indeed ….they campaign for our votes to hold public office as a public servant who are paid by we the taxpayers………the public needs to wake up and vote these scumbags out…
This is most concerning, AG Bonta in his zest to share gun owners info has put their life in danger especially in Los Angeles. It is very callous and inept to take such sensitive information and basically say “oops”. It literally puts a target on the gun owners. Those with criminal intent will use this for thievery, no doubt! This is as bad as “fast and furious” under Eric Holder. The dark web is very dark indeed and it has been reported each one of us through a data leak has info on the dark web. I shutter to think that this is purposeful in order to create more chaos in our state.
Bonta must be held liable, no ifs, ands, or buts!
Most everyone whose data was disclosed by the AG/DOJ has been notified by mail this week. “Enroll for 12 months of Credit monitoring.” That’s their way of putting toothpaste back in the tube. They’ve given a map for every would be gun thief, Anti-2A nutcase to use. What will they do to protect the law-abiding people & their families placed in harms way by this stunt? If you ask them, you’ll get a reply that reads something like, “This is what you get for being a good citizen. This will teach you what can happen if you decide to buy a gun. Sucks being you.” Our state government is pure evil.
On April 23, 2021, Rob Bonta was sworn in as the 34th Attorney General of the State of California, the first person of Filipino descent and the second Asian-American to occupy the position.
Attorney General Bonta’s passion for justice and fairness was instilled in him by his parents, who served on the frontlines of some of America’s most important social justice movements. Instilling in him the lessons they learned from the United Farm Workers and the civil rights movement, Attorney General Bonta’s parents lit a fire inside him to fight against injustice — to stand up for those who are taken advantage of or harmed. It’s why he decided to become a lawyer — to help right historic wrongs and fight for people who have been harmed. He worked his way through college and graduated with honors from Yale University and attended Yale Law School.
In the State Assembly, Attorney General Bonta enacted nation-leading reforms to inject more justice and fairness into government and institutions. As the People’s Attorney, he sees seeking accountability from those who abuse their power and harm others as one of the most important functions of the job. In elected office, he has taken on powerful interests and advanced systemic change — pursuing corporate accountability, standing up for workers, punishing big polluters, and fighting racial injustice. He has been a national leader in the fight to transform the criminal justice system, banning private prisons and detention facilities in California, as well as pushing to eliminate cash bail in the state. He has led statewide fights for racial, economic, and environmental justice and worked to further the rights of immigrant families, renters, and working Californians.
Prior to serving in the Assembly, Attorney General Bonta worked as a Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, where he represented the City and County and its employees, and fought to protect Californians from exploitation and racial profiling.
Born in Quezon City, Philippines, Attorney General Bonta immigrated to California with his family as an infant. He is the son of a proud native Filipino mother and a father who taught him the value of public service to his community. He is married to Mia Bonta, and they are the proud parents of three children Reina, Iliana, and Andres, as well as their dog Legolas.
About the Office
About Attorney General Rob Bonta
About the Office of the Attorney General
History of the Office of the Attorney General
Is this some kind of joke?
Really. Why is this here?
Well good to know he has a dog named,Legolas. All is forgiven ????
His number one responsibility is to safe guard and protect ALL Californians from harm. I do not care if he was born to Martians, Earthlings, Americans, etc .
He continues to fail at his job. This action should disqualify him from holding another political position!
Three risks from this egregious and unlawful action:
1) Thugs can now target UNARMED addresses without fear of being accosted
2) Thugs can now target ARMED addresses to break in and steal the firearms when the property is vacant
3) “Red flag” laws mean that your nosy neighbor who thinks you water your lawn too frequently in their zeal to save the planet, or doesn’t like the way you part your hair, files a “red flag” notification with law enforcement because they are “afraid for their lives” since you own (a) firearm(s)…
We need to SUE THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS out of Bonta and any and all individuals and departments involved in this egregious release of personally identifiable information that was intended to be private and highly confidential….
The fact that we have a stupid, numbnut Attorney General (the latest in a LONG string of them, by the way) does NOT excuse this highly dangerous action which was NOT an accident… placing this information is a significant effort and was INTENTIONAL…. this is part of their “Summer 2022” lead-in to the next election sh*t-storm for the November mid-terms….
We need to get Harmeet Dhillon’s law firm to file a class action lawsuit against Bonta, his office and any and all involved in this heinous action….
Mike drop!
This has the potential of harming innocent people and must not be swept under the rug or “solved” with a free credit monitoring membership!
I know…. free credit monitoring membership? Bonta & Co. think “knuckle-draggers” like us are stupid —— to the point that it’s hard to believe how completely stupid and brain-dead THEY are.
Yes ShowandTell, they never have to live with the consequences of their actions. Their solution is to throw the dog a bone and all is good. The act of leaking such sensitive information endangers lives. SMH
Is there anyone who doubts bonita was behind the breach?
If so they must just be another democrat mushroom ????
I’m all in for that!
This was absolutely an intentional act & needs to be severely dealt with!!!
Haha I moved away from that F-ED UP state two years ago. I use to have a CCW but traded it in for a TEXAS LTC. I can go buy as many guns and and as much ammo as I want all without a background check because of my TEXAS LTC.
Haha I moved away from that F-ED UP state two years ago. I use to have a CCW but traded it in for a TEXAS LTC. I can go buy as many guns and and as much ammo as I want all without a background check because of my TEXAS LTC. ????????????
This was a deliberate vindictive action that the Attorney General did. This was not an accident or a leak, this was malice with intent to do harm. This was a result of the recent SCOTUS decision . What do they think will happen here? Are they going to send Antifa to their homes? Are they stupid, these are gun owners. This is going to put millions of Cali citizens in danger. If even one person get hurt…. the state of California is liable. This is a deliberate violation of our privacy and safety as citizens of California.
I would like to know how we can participate in a class action lawsuit. We’ve got to do something.
Concerned Patriot: See article below, FWIW. The NRA intends to sue to hold these people accountable. Sam Paredes, Exec Director of Gun Owners of California, is calling for A.G. Rob Bonta to resign over the leak, “saying he ‘is either massively incompetent, incredibly negligent, or willing to criminally leak information that he does not have the authority to leak.'”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/nra-says-california-doj-put-vulnerable-gun-owners-risk-data-leak-plans-legal-action
If my child or spouse is hurt because of this data dump. I will sue tbe state of CA and DA. I was a teacher and nurse in low income areas. U will look bad. As well as my son served in the marines and Don of Vietnam vet that served as medic.
I hope ……
Well, we see that “The Narrative” of my former party, . . which is harped upon 24/7/365 by ABC-through PBS, Silicon Valley, etc, telling all of us that “guns” are dangerous, when, In Truth, it is my former party’s beloved “Criminal Class” which is truly dangerous & violent toward our innocent, law-abiding citizens of America~! Despite Steve Knight’s attempts to support this well-dressed criminal, Rob Bonta’s purposeful “leak” of the IDs of honest, hard-working, caring, armed citizens of America, Rob Bonta needs to be indicted, arrested, arraigned, tried, convicted, and, imprisoned for being an accomplice to untellable crimes committed by his beloved “Criminal Class”~! But, of course, the “GOP The Party That Loves to Lose”, won’t mention my former party’s loving of, and, it’s service to it’s beloved “Criminal Class”, no matter how serious their crimes are~!!
Whoever’s responsible needs to be raked over fiery hot coals, that SOB Bonta first.
You can litigate all you want to but the damage cannot be repaired. The info is out there forever. Best to get multiple keenly alert dogs; best alarm there is.