Oregon Sheriff Tim Mueller Writes Letter to VP Biden Saying He Won't Enforce Any Gun Laws Deemed Unconstitutional
An Oregon sheriff has a simple message to the federal government on gun control. In a letter to Vice President Joe Biden, Sheriff Tim Mueller wrote, “Any federal regulation enacted by Congress or executive order … offending the constitutional rights of my citizens will not be enforced by me or my deputies.”
Attorney Rachel Self says this is perfectly legal. She told Neil Cavuto on Your World, “The president can’t tell state law officials what to do. […] The federal authority is who should be enforcing the federal law and guns are regulated by federal law.”
She compared it to
the marijuana law in Colorado. State officials there aren’t arresting people even though it directly conflicts with federal law.
Attorney Anahita Sedaghatfar argued that it’s not the sheriff’s duty to determine whether the proposed laws are constitutional. She did agree that it’s the responsibility of the federal government to enforce the laws, not the state.
However, she added, “I think that it’s up to the federal government to decide how they want to deal with this sheriff or any other law enforcement officers that believe that state law trumps federal law.”
