The office of California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta released the personal information of thousands of California gun owners and concealed carry permit holders to the public this week, and Second Amendment activists see it as a major breach of privacy.
Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, told Fox News Wednesday that the release of information was either negligent or potentially criminal.
“We believe that AG Rob Bonta is either massively incompetent, incredibly negligent, or willing to criminally leak information that he does not have the authority to leak,” Paredes said.
“This is so egregious that he should resign. He has placed tens of thousands of abiding citizens in California in harms way. That is not excusable with an ‘I’m sorry.'”
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The Democratic attorney general, appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year, announced in a press release Monday that the new portal was created to “improve transparency and information sharing for firearms-related data.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announces that the state is appealing a decision by a federal judge to overturn a ban on assault weapons during a news conference at Zuckerberg General Hospital in San Francisco, Thursday, June 10, 2021.
(Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group via AP)
In Monday’s press release, the state’s DOJ claimed they sought to protect “the personal identifying information in the data the Department collects and maintains,” however, large amounts of personal information on gun owners were released.
The leak was first reported by gun news outlet The Reload Tuesday, just days after the Supreme Court’s consequential Second Amendment ruling.
The information, taken from the state’s database of concealed carry permit holders, included the thousands of gun owners full name, date of birth, home address, race, when their concealed carry permit was issued, and what type of permit it was. The Reload reportedly found in the LA County database that around 420 reserve officers and 244 judges were also among those who had their information leaked Monday.
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A protester holds signs calling for an end to gun violence in front of the Supreme Court on June 8, 2022 in Washington, DC. The court is expected to announce a series of high-profile decisions this month.
(Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
The information was posted in the California Department of Justice’s 2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal, a website that is now “temporarily unavailable.”
The California Attorney Generals Office did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment regarding the data leak. Legal action could potentially be taken against the state and those involved, as a result of the shocking breach.
A spokesperson from the AG’s office told Newsweek, “We are investigating an exposure of individuals’ personal information connected to the DOJ Firearms Dashboard. 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.”
Paredes said his organization is working “to figure out what legal matters we can take, but unless the AG is willing to send people who can protect those who have had their data breached, there is not much else they can do.”
The private information has since been taken down but raises major concern as the midterm elections approach.
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(iStock)
In the primary election earlier this month, incumbent Bonta advanced to represent his party this November, alongside GOP candidate Nathan Hochman.
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It is unknown whether the leak was an intentional strike or simply an accident from the California DOJ’s office, after last week’s SCOTUS opinion sparked major controversy across the country.
The Supreme Court decided to strike down the New York gun law that put unconstitutional restrictions on who qualified for a concealed carry permit, ultimately making it more accessible for civilians to carry a weapon for self defense.
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