More than 3,000 sheriffs across the nation are calling on President Biden to halt the sale of a major gun ammunition and primer manufacturer to a foreign buyer linked to Russia and China.
The sale of Vista Outdoor’s Sporting Products division, a long-standing partner of local, state, and federal law enforcement, is now facing heightened scrutiny. The company represents renowned brands such as CCI, Federal, HEVI-Shot, Remington, and Speer.
Vista Sporting Products plays a vital role in providing essential primers and ammunition for police training and service nationwide. Primers serve as the ignition component of a bullet, propelling it out of a firearm.
In a letter addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, the sheriffs express concerns about potential disruptions to their critical supplies resulting from the sale.
Particularly, a ‘foreign company controlling of nearly 70% of the western supply of primers’ is not an ideal situation.
‘At this time of heightened global demand, any disruptions in access to affordable and reliable American-made ammunition and primers will hurt Sheriffs across the country,’ they continue.
‘Additionally, CSG’s ownership of Vista Sporting Products could limit the ability of some law enforcement agencies with foreign procurement restrictions from continuing to purchase supplies. This would happen at time when many of our members are still dealing with shortages spurred by COVID-19 supply chain disruptions.’
Last month, Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., voiced similar apprehensions, suggesting that the planned acquisition might pose a threat to national security. He urged Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to conduct a comprehensive review of the sale, aiming to ascertain that it won’t have adverse effects on the country given CSG’s purported ties to Russia and China.
One of CSG’s subsidiaries, Dako-CZ, reportedly collaborated on a project with Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications giant known for its attempts to pilfer U.S. trade secrets.
However, CSG spokesperson Andrej Cirtek dismissed this assertion as ‘misleading’ and ‘outright false.’
‘DAKO-CZ did not cooperate with Huawei. It supplies braking systems for rail vehicles for the well-known Swiss company Stadler which operates also in USA. One of Stadler’s projects is the delivery of trains for Huawei’s Dianshan Lake campus in China,’ he said.
‘Fabricating the claim that CSG is working with Huawei from this real information is a typical example of fake news.’
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that if the deal goes through, CSG will ‘immediately become a major player in the American ammunition industry despite national security concerns.’
He mentioned that CSG previously sponsored an ‘exhibition in Moscow aimed at assisting Russian authorities in securing European military technologies and is suspected of having connections to Putin’s inner circle.’
Additionally, former Trump National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien and Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, have also expressed concerns about CSG’s alleged links to Russia. However, the CSG spokesperson informed DailyMail.com that the sale enables CSG to provide ‘much-needed stability and investments to U.S. small-caliber ammunition producers.’
He further emphasized that the company has no affiliations with China or Russia, dismissing rumors to the contrary as ‘utter nonsense.’ ‘We are among the primary private suppliers of arms for Ukraine, and several of our companies hold NATO security clearances,’ he added, noting that over 60 percent of their defense production is directed towards NATO countries and not Russia or China.
Similarly, Jason Vanderbrink, president and CEO of Federal Ammunition and Remington Ammunition, refuted the ‘internet rumor mill,’ stating that ‘inaccurate statements about our business’ have been circulating. ‘Our ammunition brands are proudly manufactured in the United States, and we are recognized for our American heritage,’ he affirmed in a video statement.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is also evaluating the sale. According to Axios, the Biden administration is equipping CFIUS with a ‘finer instrument’ to scrutinize foreign investments.
As part of the proposed enhancements to CFIUS authority, the agency would be authorized to impose a civil penalty of up to $5 million for ‘misrepresentations or omissions’ in a filing, up from just $250,000.
