The Florida Department of Agriculture — the agency responsible for conducting criminal background checks on concealed weapons permit applications — failed to do so for more than a year.
According to a report from the Tampa Bay Times, thousands of applicants were able to bypass background checks, “potentially allowing drug addicts or people with a mental illness to carry firearms in public.”
The department is run by Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam, who is running for Florida governor. POLITICO reported that Putnam’s agency initially refused to give details about the failure; however, Putnam issued a statement hours later that blamed a single employee.
The alleged reason the employee, Lisa Wilde, failed to conduct background checks? She couldn’t “log into” the FBI federal database.
During the time Florida wasn’t checking backgrounds, the state saw a historic spike in applications for concealed weapons permits. @scontorno @TB_Times #Putnam #concealedcarry https://t.co/xasAU4OJcc pic.twitter.com/xjBldGFubF
— Ron Brackett (@rontimes) June 8, 2018
“During that time, which coincided with the June 12, 2016 shooting at Pulse nightclub that left 50 dead, the state saw an unprecedented spike in applications for concealed weapons permits,” the Tampa Bay Times reported. “There were 134,000 requests for permits in the fiscal year ending in June 2015. The next 12 months broke a record, 245,000 applications, which was topped again in 2017 when the department received 275,000 applications.”
A spokesman for the department told the Tampa Bay Times that Wilde was terminated, and every application that was potentially impacted was later reviewed.
Just a month after the investigation into the department’s failure, which had been forwarded to Putnam — though it wasn’t public knowledge then — Putnam tweeted that he was a “proud NRA sellout.”
The liberal media recently called me a sellout to the NRA. I’m a proud #NRASellout! Sign below if you are, too.https://t.co/Uro4UVtIOf
— Adam Putnam (@adamputnam) July 26, 2017
Now, many are calling on him to resign and withdraw from the race for governor.
Quick response to our story today from Florida Democratic candidates for governor. Here’s what they’re saying: https://t.co/L9tYkjJWBC
— Steve Contorno (@scontorno) June 8, 2018
.@LindaStewartFL calls on @adamputnam to resign as Agriculture Commissioner following epic concealed carry background check failure. Notes agency officials concealed failure when seeking her support for passage of bill to approve lingering permits during ’18 legislative session. pic.twitter.com/MErj0KmE15
— FL Senate Dems (@FLSenateDems) June 8, 2018
Not being able to log into the FBI background checks system should have resulted in @AdamPutnam’s office calling an IT professional, not approving concealed carry permits to potential criminals. He should resign. https://t.co/l0ZLuZCaNy
— American Bridge (@American_Bridge) June 8, 2018
Even the NRA’s Dana Loesch expressed concerns about the failure, tweeting Friday night, “This was the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for applicants and it failed because someone forgot their password. Good grief.” She later deleted the tweet.
As of Saturday afternoon, Putnam was still in his role and in the gubernatorial race.