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By Lee Williams

A small civilian rifle club located just 50 miles northwest of Boston is suing nearby Fort Devens for violating federal law granting them access to military rifle ranges at reasonable rates, as well as violating their members’ constitutional rights to due process and equal protection under the law.

Ultimately, the gun club says the Biden-Harris administration is responsible.

Joe Biden, Jill Biden
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

A little-known section of U.S. code requires the Army to make rifle and pistol ranges available for civilian use as long as it doesn’t interfere with military training. The law prohibits officials from charging exorbitant fees for range access. Another federal statute requires the Army to provide logistical support to the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

The Fort Devens Rifle & Pistol Club, Inc., is an affiliate of both the Civilian Marksmanship Program and the National Rifle Association.

For decades prior to the 2020 election, club members had been using a wide array of rifle and pistol ranges at Fort Devens free of charge. Club members supplied their own targets, ammunition, range safety officers and other supplies. They even policed their own brass.

Most of the members are veterans, so they’re intimately familiar with range safety protocols and other best practices. To be clear, in terms of taxpayer dollars, accomodating the club cost the Fort very little.

 

Just days after the 2020 election, the club was notified in writing that they would have to start paying a minimum of $250 per range, and that the fees would increase based upon the total number of shooters.

“This did not start until three days after Biden got into office. We found that very interesting,” said Jim Gettens, treasurer of the Fort Devens Rifle & Pistol Club, Inc. “I don’t think they ever would have pulled this under President Trump’s administration. If we had contacted President Trump about this, I think it would have gone away ASAP.”

Fort Devens Rifle & Pistol Club members working the long-range rifle pits. (Video still courtesy of the Fort Devens Rifle & Pistol Club).

FOIA

The club attempted to perform some due diligence. Gettens, as club treasurer, sent a federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Lt. Col. Lindsey E. Halter, then-Fort Devens’ Installation Commander, seeking to confirm how much the club’s range usage actually cost the Fort.

Among the document requests sought in the FOIA were:

  • All records showing the itemized costs for materials and supplies incurred by U.S. Army Garrison Fort Devens, specifically attributable to the Ft. Devens Rifle & Pistol Club, Inc., to make the following rifle or pistol ranges available to that Club on the range dates it scheduled during calendar year 2020.
  • Records showing the total dollar amount collected during calendar year 2020 by U.S. Army Garrison Fort Devens, in charges or fees imposed on non-Department of Defense entities, including but not limited to, law enforcement agencies, other agencies, corporations, and other persons, for use of its rifle and pistol ranges during 2020.

Club members have seen numerous law enforcement agencies – local, state and federal – using Fort Devens’ range facilities. They suspect the Fort has created a lucrative cottage industry by charging law enforcement agencies – and ultimately taxpayers – for range access.

The FOIA was sent up the chain of command from Fort Devens to Fort Dix, New Jersey to Fort Sam Houston in Texas. Along the way, the club was told the FOIA would cost $1,056 to process, which Gettens paid by check.

“Almost six months later I called the FOIA officer, since our $1,056 check would go stale after six months,” Getten said Monday. “They quickly cashed it and then they stiffed us. We never got a single document back from our FOIA request. They just took our money.”

Fort Devens Rifle & Pistol Club members engaging computer-controlled popup targets with handguns at Fort Devens’ Bravo Range. (Video still courtesy of the Fort Devens Rifle & Pistol Club).

Litigation

In August, after all attempts to remediate the problem failed, Richard Chambers, one of the few Second Amendment attorneys in the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts, filed suit against Fort Devens in federal court on the club’s behalf.

“The Second Amendment is a fundamental right, and the military should not be dictating policy when it’s guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution as well as by an act of Congress,” Chambers said Monday.

The lawsuit, Ft. Devens Rifle & Pistol Club, Inc. v. U.S. Army Garrison Fort Devens, points out that the rifle club began as an association in the early 1990s, and was incorporated in 1996.

Prior to 9/11, the club hosted many shooting events including Northeast High Power League Rifle matches and the annual Colt Cup Match.

After the terrorist attacks, the Fort began limiting the number of privately-owned vehicles permitted on post, and refused to grant the club access on weekends, which killed the matches and severely reduced club membership. Today, club members are only allowed to shoot twice a month — usually Tuesday mornings — one day for rifles, one for pistols.

The four-count lawsuit accuses Fort Devens of violating 10 U.S.C § 7409 by attempting to charge unreasonable and exorbitant range fees; violating 36 U.S.C § 40727 by failing to provide logistical support to a certified affiliate of the Civilian Marksmanship Program; violating 5 U.S.C. § 552 by failing to provide documents sought in a FOIA request, as well as violating the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights of due process and equal protection and treatment under the law.

The lawsuit seeks a written declaration from the court that the club members’ statutory and constitutional rights were violated. It also seeks an order from the court directing the Fort to allow the club to use its ranges in accordance with past practices, as well as reasonable attorney fees and costs.

Jazika Levario, a civilian public affairs officer at Fort Devens, agreed to forward a copy of the club’s federal complaint to the Fort’s command group to see if anyone was willing to discuss the lawsuit. No one was.

“We are unable to make a comment at this time,” Levario said in a subsequent email.

The Fort Devens Rifle & Pistol Club has established a GiveSendGo account, which has raised $845 of its $50,000 goal so far.

“They need help with fundraising,” said Chambers, the club’s attorney. “This is something that could affect the entire country.”

 

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This story is part of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project and is published here with their permission.

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46 COMMENTS

  1. I’m sure that anyone associated with the litigation against the Army will soon find themselves under investigation by the FBI and IRS.

  2. “In August, after all attempts to remediate the problem failed, Richard Chambers, one of the few Second Amendment attorneys in the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts, filed suit against Fort Devens in federal court on the club’s behalf.”

    We’re only going to see more of this as the Leftist Scum ™ begin to realize just how deep the doo-doo they are now in thanks to the landmark ‘NYSRPA v. Bruen’ decision.

    We are gonna need a lot more lawyers of our own. I really hope POTG with law degrees will start to help out on cases like that one as a ‘side hustle’ to stomp those scumbags flat… 🙁

    • “This did not start until three days after Biden got into office. We found that very interesting,” said Jim Gettens, treasurer of the Fort Devens Rifle & Pistol Club, Inc. “I don’t think they ever would have pulled this under President Trump’s administration. If we had contacted President Trump about this, I think it would have gone away ASAP.”

      I knew with just a bit of research that I would find you people are just a bunch of fucking liars once again.

      The fact is, this lawsuit was started because President Donald Trump and his SecDef Esper put out a new policy in June 2020, forcing the increased range fees. In November 2020, President Trump’s administration notified the rifle club their range use fee would be $250 beginning January 2021.

      It’s all there on the very first page of the lawsuit.

      Lying POS POTG trying to blame the Biden administration, when in actual fact it was president Benedict Donald who raised the fees to push the rifle club offbase.

      If it wasn’t for lies and disinformation, conservative Republican Trump supporters would have no information at all.

      https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.247256/gov.uscourts.mad.247256.1.0.pdf

      I bet you rubes are so snookered, you probably think Donald Trump won the presidential election in 2020.

        • “He DID win“

          Yeah well, you’ve had two years to produce some evidence and we haven’t seen Jack shit. Release the kraken!
          Italian satellites, Hugo Chavez, German cities!

          “United States Attorney General Bill Barr did not think much of Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election. According to his videotaped testimony before the House select committee investigating how those lies resulted in the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Trump’s former Attorney General told Trump this to his face. Among his choice words about various claims by the Trump legal team: “bullshit,” “completely bullshit,” “absolute rubbish,” “idiotic,” “bogus,” “stupid,” “crazy,” “crazy stuff,” “complete nonsense,” and “a great, great disservice to the country.” What’s more, Barr added, if Trump actually believed the garbage he was spewing about the election, then he had become dangerously “detached from reality.”

          https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-bidens-washington/bill-barr-calls-bullshit-on-trumps-election-lies

        • I’m not swayed by your fear mongering, right is right and wrong is wrong, the article and the statements made by those interviewed are patently false.

          Just like the MAGA Trump supporters always do, nothing but lies followed by threats and intimidation.

          Be afraid, be very afraid, the Civil War is coming! Friggin hilarious.

          Jade Helm is real!

          Fuck off, keyboard commando, your support of this propaganda and disinformation just betrays your lack of patriotism and greedy self/interest.

        • You support the biden crime family and you call me greedy and self interested? You happily suggest putting poll taxes on constitutional rights and you call me unpatriotic? Limiting rights is your mantra but I’m at fault?

          Just remember. It was your side that made the scotus anti abortion ruling possible with your willingness to hinder civil rights. But you don’t want to see how your crushing of human and civil rights has anything to do with what’s now happening and what will happen in the future. Just want to blame Trump for your own malfeasance.

          The bill is coming due.

        • More hilarity, thanks for the entertainment!

          SCROTUS Has been politicized by the Republican party, Mitch McConnell refusing his constitutional obligation to provide ‘advise and consent’ by holding a hearing on President Obama’s Supreme Court nominations was just the start.

          Justice Clarence Thomas’ ignorance of the federal law requiring that he recuse himself on cases involving his wife is the latest abridgment of the history and tradition of the Supreme Court.

          28 U.S. Code § 455 – Disqualification of justice, judge, or magistrate judge

          (a) Any justice, judge, or magistrate judge of the United States shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned.
          (b) He shall also disqualify himself in the following circumstances:

          (5) He or his spouse, or a person within the third degree of relationship to either of them, or the spouse of such a person:

          (iii) Is known by the judge to have an interest that could be substantially affected by the outcome of the proceeding;
          (iv) Is to the judge’s knowledge likely to be a material witness in the proceeding.

        • Really foaming at the mouth there, miner. The fact that you only see the gop making missteps and never call out the left is why you have no credibility here. Likely no where else in your life. Would packing scotus have been a politicized move? Only if done by the gop, amiright? Well get ready, cupcake, your side couldn’t get it done. I’ll bet we can.

          And I’ve asked you before, miner. Why are you here? I’ve only ever went to 1 anti gun website in my life and I did not comment.

          Yet here you are. Every day. Isn’t that a pretty good definition of a troll?

        • lil 49r is just practicing hyperventilation. Needs to be prepared for a very bad progtard day on Nov 9.

        • jwm,
          Go easy on 49r.
          Fetterman lost last night.
          Hochul appears she may have lost.
          Hobbs is so incompetent she wont even debate Lake, and has to have a curtin erected between them.
          Abrams is looking to lose.
          Miami-Dade County looks to swing for DeSantis.
          The Asian community has dropped the DNC by 5 points.
          The Hispanic community appears not far behind.

          The Red Wave Democrats denied existed, looks to be real.
          The Democrat party is in a panic. Despite all their fearmongering, like SS will end, Medicare, Medicaid will end, democracy is in danger, etc. voters look at what the Democrat party has become and they are walking away.
          Can you blame all those people walking away?
          If you cannot define what a woman is, or think mutilation of children is okay, I would walk away from you too.

          As for Civil War 2.0 or whatever people are calling it, I could see it happening.
          And the Democrats would start it. Under some guise that anyone who voted for Republicans are Nazis, fascists, whatever as justification for the suspension of The Constitution, the SC, elections, anything to stay in power.

        • Epstein. miner and his kind are the fascists. They deny this. They may even believe the denial. But the truth is the truth.

          What was once the left is full on fascist now.

      • The letter from the USAG Fort Devens Department of Public Works to the Ft. Devens Rifle & Pistol Club, Inc., covering the calendar year 2021 range use ‘license’ [contract] setting forth the minimum fee of $250 per range outing, was dated 6 November 2020–just after the November 2020 presidential election–and postmarked 9 November 2020. The bureaucrats at USAG Fort Devens, and the IMCOM chain of command, knew then that corrupt, senile, ‘Big Guy’ Dementia Joe Biden, head of the Biden Crime Family getting a 10% cut of the foreign pay-to-pay $Millions funneled through crackhead whoremaster Hunter Biden, was the pResident*-elect. At that point it would have been a useless gesture by the Club to contact the Trump Administration and YOU know it. Esper’s 19 June 2020 Memorandum stated that military installations could no longer provide FREE range usage to non-DoD persons or entities absent an express waiver from appropriate higher command levels. That Memorandum set forth NO fees and NO fee structure whatsoever, and it FAILED to cite 10 U.S. Code Section 7409 now cited by the Club in its Complaint.
        I did not author this article. Overall, Lee Williams did an excellent job as author.
        By the way, it is now acknowledged by objective, honest observers that THE TOTALLY CORRUPT F.B.I. THREW THE 2020 ELECTION FOR DEMENTIA JOE BY MANIPULATING BIG TECH/SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES INTO SUPPRESSING THE NY POST’S ACCURATE HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP REPORTING, ASSERING FALSELY THAT IT WAS ‘RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION.’ THAT WAS ENOUGH TO SWING 44,000 VOTES IN A MERE THREE (3) STATES AND TILT THE FINAL ELECTORAL COLLEGE TALLY.

        Jim Gettens
        Treasurer. Ft. Devens Rifle & Pistol Club, Inc.

        • “Esper’s 19 June 2020 Memorandum stated that military installations could no longer provide FREE range usage to non-DoD persons or entities absent an express waiver from appropriate higher command levels. That Memorandum set forth NO fees and NO fee structure whatsoever, and it FAILED to cite 10 U.S. Code Section 7409 now cited by the Club in its Complaint.“

          Yes, it is unfortunate Donald Trump‘s handpicked SecDef instituted this policy at his direction.
          And as you point out, it seems an ill considered policy at that.

          And then the Trump administration handed this cluster to Joe Biden.

          I found it amusing that you think old ‘dementia’ Joe had the wherewithal to direct the DOD to screw you guys, what a detailed conspiracy!

          And it’s surprising you’re whining about a $250 charge, why should my taxpayer dollars go to subsidize your range time at a cut right price? Isn’t that just more free stuff from the government?

          “By the way, it is now acknowledged by objective, honest observers that THE TOTALLY CORRUPT F.B.I. THREW THE 2020 ELECTION”

          Yeah, that’s why over 60 different state, federal district, federal appeals courts and the Supreme Court kicked Donald Trump‘s lawsuits to the curb.

          And the ‘fake electors’ scheme, that’s really hilarious, conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of justice coming right up!

          “THE NY POST’S ACCURATE HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP REPORTING“

          The Post? I thought Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson had all that on a hard drive and were going to do a big expose, whatever happened to all that?
          Think maybe they got a little nervous about being sued for defamation?

          Have they both given their deposition in the billion dollar lawsuit where dominion is taking fox to the cleaners?

          And no doubt, there’s an investigation of Hunter Biden and if he is found to have committed tax evasion or any other crime he should be prosecuted and have a fair trial in open court, just like Don Junior and Eric will soon be having.

          And you know, about all that keyboard shouting there, you might want to sit quietly and meditate, all that anger can’t possibly be good for your health.

        • Well MINER you should take you own advice and look in the mirror..

          The establishment was inside the Trump administration doing everything to thwart Trump’s LEGITIMATE gov’t!!!

          You were and are pushing the “BIG LIE” that Trump was a RUSSIAN AGENT!!!

          So get off your high horse!!!

          When the RED WAVE happens, you will be spouting every LEFTIST MSM claim that the Republicans “STOLE THE ELECTION”!!! There was voter fraud!!!! And now DEMOCRACY is DEAD, even though we are not a DEMOCRACY!!!

  3. Its not just for Army bases.

    The law says “All rifle ranges constructed in whole or in part with funds provided by the United States may be used by members of the armed forces and by persons capable of bearing arms.”

    So that includes Air Force, Marines, Navy bases too – and in some cases National Guard bases as all national guard bases are “constructed in whole or in part with funds provided by the United States” as well as their ranges (in most cases if they have a range).

    • I am no longer on staff and am in no way speaking in an official capacity. However, I do know that Camp Shelby in Mississippi routinely hosts non-military shooting events. Law enforcement, Boy Scouts, whoever. I can only speak from 2010-2020, but there was always a range use fee. It was established in regulatory guidance. Same for use of the obstacle course, rappel tower, barracks, etc… High school football teams have summer camps there every year.

      The fees are very small. Again, the fees are established by regulations and not subject to the whims of the commander or range officer. The fees cover fair use expenses. Utilities, wear and tear, etc…

  4. “In August, after all attempts to remediate the problem failed, Richard Chambers, one of the few Second Amendment attorneys in the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts, filed suit against Fort Devens in federal court on the club’s behalf.”

    “Paging Ralph. Ralph to the TTAG courtesy phone please.”

    *Perfect* gig for a retired lawyer. Collect your own fees and spend it on guns, ammo, and travel.

    And as a bonus, it pisses off the Enemy… 😉

  5. What a bunch of gullible sad sacks, we are all laughing at you people.

    Propaganda got you whipped up in a frenzy, blaming Joe Biden for taking your shooting range.

    When the truth is, it was President Donald Trump and his SecDef Esper who instituted the range fees policy in June 2020.

    I’m understanding now how Donald Trump is able to pry hundreds of millions of dollars out of you people, y’all will believe anything you read on the Internet.

    • We don’t believe anything you say on the net, miner. But apparently Trump lives in your brain for free. It is just going to get so much worse, for you.

      • “We don’t believe anything you say on the net, miner“

        Hey, don’t believe me, read the friggin suit right off the fucking site:

        https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.247256/gov.uscourts.mad.247256.1.0.pdf

        This is like so many of the bullshit conspiracy theories you people come up with, 30 seconds of basic research shows you’re full of shit.

        And often, it’s exactly the opposite of what’s being reported by the POTG.

        This case is a perfect example, blaming Joe Biden when actually it was president Benedict Donald Trump who took your precious shooting range.

        How do you think you’re going to roll over the department of the army? If you are a veteran you should be familiar with the phrase ‘Exigencies of the Service’.

        • I am a veteran. I just expect the Army and all other federal agencies to follow the laws and rules that we are expected to live by.

          But don’t worry, it will be sorted soon.

        • Wow, you’re on quite the roll today. I understand why though, really I get it.
          You worship a demented old fool and his defunct party that is trying it’s best to get us into WWIII. Your President does not even know what he’s saying. Not to worry though, I think the American people are going to express their thoughts through the mid-terms.

        • @miner49er

          In your linked document it does not say Trump did it. It says it was (a memo) from the former SecDef Esper.

          This was your link document you posted > https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.247256/gov.uscourts.mad.247256.1.0.pdf

          This is another case of your confirmation bias kicking in.

          The article says:

          “Just days after the 2020 election, the club was notified in writing that they would have to start paying a minimum of $250 per range, and that the fees would increase based upon the total number of shooters.

          “This did not start until three days after Biden got into office. We found that very interesting,” said Jim Gettens, treasurer of the Fort Devens Rifle & Pistol Club, Inc. “I don’t think they ever would have pulled this under President Trump’s administration. If we had contacted President Trump about this, I think it would have gone away ASAP.””

          1. It is true that “Just days after the 2020 election, the club was notified in writing.” its true because that’s when they were notified in writing.

          2. It is true that “This did not start until three days after Biden got into office.” > its true because that’s when it started.

          3. Its is true “I don’t think they ever would have pulled this under President Trump’s administration. If we had contacted President Trump about this, I think it would have gone away ASAP.”” > Its true because it is his opinion and the memo from Esper mostly likely was not known to Trump. It was a memo from SecDef, not something that would cross the presidents desk. So its a true opinion that he ‘thinks’ this would have gone away had Trump known about it.

          In short, even with your link to the document as above which you claim as substantiating ‘proof’ of your claims there is absolutely zero to substantiate your claims.

          Your confirmation bias is kicking in yet again.

        • So how much are being paid to “TROLL” gun sites!!!

          And which ANTI-GUN ORGANIZATIONS is funding your “TROLLING”??

          So go hide in your closet!!!

    • Referring to your dishonest, misleading, disingenuous reply, above:

      I never said that Trump directed Esper to issue the 19 June 2020 Memorandum and YOU have no proof that Trump did so. In fact, there is NO EVIDENCE that Trump ever learned about that Memorandum, the Memorandum being the obscure product of a mammoth bureaucracy.

      Therefore, it is dishonest and disingenuous on your part to say that Trump handed this “cluster” to Mannequin Joe Biden, he who now gets lost on the White House lawn.

      I never said that Dementia/Mannequin Joe directed the DoD to screw our Club, but it is well-known in the now-incompetent, ‘woke’ DoD, run by Biden sycophants, that Biden is a firearms hater doing his utmost to undermine Second Amendment rights. Those Biden DoD sycophants could have revoked, modified, or clarified Esper’s 19 June 2020 Memorandum but have failed to do so from January 2021 until now because its vagueness suits them.

      Our taxpayer dollars fund USAG Fort Devens range operations through Congressionally-appropriated DoD “Operations and Maintenance” (O&M) funds already, so go whine to your Lefty Congress-Critter or Senator if you have a problem with that. The Club rightly contests the exorbitant charges having no relation whatsoever to the actual costs incurred by USAG Fort Devens, for “materials and supplies,” in providing firing ranges for our Club’s use. Suggest that you actually read 10 U.S. Code Section 7409. USAG Fort Devens stonewalled our Club’s FOIA request BECAUSE it cannot itemize ANY such costs related to our Club’s range use.

      Again, complete dishonesty and disingenuousness on your part– what we’ve come to expect from Foaming Lefty Sociopaths such as you. THE TOTALLY CORRUPT F.B.I.’s 2020 ELECTION INTERFERENCE REFERRED TO WAS REVEALED ONLY RECENTLY BY MARK ZUCKERBERG DURING AN INTERVIEW, LONG AFTER VARIOUS LAWSUITS WERE DIMISSED. AS I RECALL, TRUMP ONLY BROUGHT ONE AS A PLAINTIFF, NOT 60.

      If you want the TRUTH about crackhead whoremaster tax-and-child support-evader Hunter Biden’s laptop–and I know that YOU are INIMICAL to TRUTH–go borrow from your local library Miranda Devine’s book, “Laptop From Hell.”

      You are just another ‘Projecting’ Foaming Lefty Sociopath. I’m not angry at all when I set forth TRUTH–as I’m doing now and as I did so above.

    • @Miner49er

      “When the truth is, it was President Donald Trump and his SecDef Esper who instituted the range fees policy in June 2020.”

      https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.247256/gov.uscourts.mad.247256.1.0.pdf

      In the linked court document it does not say Trump did it. It says it was (a memo) from the former SecDef Esper.

      This is another case of your confirmation bias kicking in.

      The article says:

      “Just days after the 2020 election, the club was notified in writing that they would have to start paying a minimum of $250 per range, and that the fees would increase based upon the total number of shooters.

      “This did not start until three days after Biden got into office. We found that very interesting,” said Jim Gettens, treasurer of the Fort Devens Rifle & Pistol Club, Inc. “I don’t think they ever would have pulled this under President Trump’s administration. If we had contacted President Trump about this, I think it would have gone away ASAP.””

      1. It is true that “Just days after the 2020 election, the club was notified in writing.” its true because that’s when they were notified in writing.

      2. It is true that “This did not start until three days after Biden got into office.” > its true because that’s when it started.

      3. Its is true “I don’t think they ever would have pulled this under President Trump’s administration. If we had contacted President Trump about this, I think it would have gone away ASAP.”” > Its true because it is his opinion and the memo from Esper mostly likely was not known to Trump. It was a memo from SecDef, not something that would cross the presidents desk. So its a true opinion that he ‘thinks’ this would have gone away had Trump known about it.

      There is absolutely zero to substantiate your claim.

      Your confirmation bias is kicking in yet again.

      Your claim is false that “When the truth is, it was President Donald Trump and his SecDef Esper who instituted the range fees policy in June 2020.” > that is not the truth as you claimed, the court documents and article narrative do not substantiate your false claim.

      • Thank you for your reply, I did find it interesting, particularly your use of quotes from the article in order to prove the article. Hilarious, it’s like using the Bible to prove the Bible, the article is the claim, not the proof.

        But the article in question is just a propaganda piece, there’s no certification or affirmation under oath as to these claims.

        “Your claim is false that “When the truth is, it was President Donald Trump and his SecDef Esper who instituted the range fees policy in June 2020.” > that is not the truth as you claimed, the court documents and article narrative do not substantiate your false claim.“

        “2. It is true that “This did not start until three days after Biden got into office.” > its true because that’s when it started.“

        Both of your statement above are patently false.

        We notice while you claim what the lawsuit states, you never quote the actual text.

        That’s why one must read the actual lawsuit, which is filed under signature by attorneys who are ‘officers of the court’ and are under penalty of perjury for making false statements.

        The lawsuit, on the very first page under the heading ‘Preliminary Statement’, contains the following assertion of facts:

        “Following promulgation of former secretary of defense Mark Esper’s June 19, 2020 memorandum concerning “reimbursable activities in support of other non-DOD entities”, a copy of which is attached hereto as ‘Exhibit A’, defendants personnel in November 2020 notified Plaintiff that beginning in January 2021 and throughout calendar year 2021, plaintiff would be charged a minimum fee of $250 per range outing to use firing ranges at defendants South Post range complex.”

        https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.247256/gov.uscourts.mad.247256.1.0.pdf

        There you have it, Donald Trump’s hand picked SecDef issued this decision, and implementation was commenced in November 2020.

        For those unfamiliar with the United States Constitution, the new administration does not take office until January 20 of the year following the election.

        Despite your claims and the assertions of the propaganda piece, this decision had nothing whatsoever to do with Joe Biden or his administration, who would not take office until more than six months after President Donald Trump‘s administration initiated the change to ‘pay for play’.

        As our friend jwn would put it ‘It happened on his watch so it’s his responsibility‘.

        This situation reminds me of the bullshit ‘stolen election’ claims. Trump, and all his minions, are happy to make multiple public claims about ‘stolen or fraudulent’ votes, etc. but when it comes to making an actual sworn statement in a court of law the conspirators refuse to incriminate themselves by making their bullshit claims in a signed affidavit.

        That’s why Trump and his co-conspirators have lost over 60 cases in state, federal district, federal appeals courts and the United States Supreme Court.

        Why people support this lying, traitorous draft-dodger is beyond me.

        “Trump said that people who pose a “grave risk” should not be able to access firearms and there should be “rapid due process” for the weapons to be taken from such people who already have them.

        “That is why I have called for red flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders,” Trump said.“

        https://www.texastribune.org/2019/08/07/trump-considers-red-flag-laws-texas-lawmakers-have-blocked/

        • @Miner49er

          Once again your lack of context application and confirmation bias kicks in. Thanks for verifying it with your latest.

        • @Miner49er

          No, I did not quote the text from the court document. That’s because I write for people who know how to read so they can read the document their self, I don’t write for you that needs everything spoon fed into your confirmation bias.

        • “No, I did not quote the text from the court document”

          Obviously, because the actual facts in the lawsuit are at odds with your claims.

          “Following promulgation of former secretary of defense Mark Esper’s June 19, 2020 memorandum concerning “reimbursable activities in support of other non-DOD entities”

          It’s all right there, the actual facts of the situation indicate neither Joe Biden or Hunter Biden were involved in this decision or its execution by the Trump administration in November 2020.

          Come on you guys, ‘fess up, Joe Biden and Hunter Biden didn’t have anything to do with this, y’all were screwed by your mango Messiah, Donald Trump and his merry band of co-conspirators.

        • @Miner49er

          No, I did not quote the text from the court document. That’s because I write for people who know how to read so they can read the document their self, I don’t write for you that needs everything spoon fed into your confirmation bias.

  6. Good to see Fort Devens in the news. Went there in 1961 to an Army school before going to the Philippines & Vietnam. Returned in 1963 for another year at Fort Devens.
    God, that was a long time ago.

  7. Fat chance this is resolved with any haste. The only thing that moves at the speed of light in the big green is money out of your account when finance notices an overpayment.

  8. I came across a funny insult today: “Is your behind jealous of all the poop that comes out of your mouth”?

    Apply as needed.

  9. “They quickly cashed it and then they stiffed us. We never got a single document back from our FOIA request. They just took our money.”

    Can you file criminal theft charges?

  10. jwm,
    This is in response to your October 26, 2022 At 13:21 to my comment.
    You said,
    “Epstein. miner and his kind are the fascists. They deny this. They may even believe the denial. But the truth is the truth.

    What was once the left is full on fascist now.”

    I agree.
    In their near religious like zeal, they are attacking the 1stA, the 2ndA. The SC to go as far as to say the SC is “illegitimate.” They are sending SWAT teams to round up people who peacefully protested abortion, 10 months after the fact, and no local or state charges were filed. They are okay with protesters harassing SC justices at their homes and even okay with an assassination attempt. They give sweetheart deals to people to tried to fire bomb NYPD. They are okay with using violence against police and then demand the police to be defunded. We all know how the crime rate has gone up in Democrat ran cities that favor the defund the police movement and no cash bail. We know how hamstringing the oil and gas companies resulted in higher energy costs and that lead to inflation is okay as it is green. That was Biden’s doing. He campaigned on it, and then proved it on day one with canceling the XL pipeline. With his Inflation Reduction Act, which will not reduce inflation, he put in billions of dollars into green energy. No one can point out how that will get us a green utopia, that does not include rolling blackouts, higher energy costs (see the above about inflation), and EVs the average American cannot afford. Dont leave out safe recycling into the cost of the green revolution. But they are okay with that.

    Yes, anyone with a degree of common sense, objective non-emotional thinking (that would exclude 49r), can see the facts for the facts.
    Truth is too squishy. It changes when new facts come to light. Like, at one time it was universally accepted that the Earth was the center of the universe and the sun and planets went around the Earth. New technology, new facts came to light, the Earth and planets revolve around the sun.

    Fact of the matter is, anything that is not their way of thinking is a threat to democracy. When it is they who are the threat.

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