AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File

When Nikki Fried was elected as Florida’s Secretary of Agriculture, many in the Sunshine State worried about how the anti-gunner now in charge of the state’s concealed carry permit program might mess with what many saw as a good thing. While Fried has argued that her office shouldn’t manage the program, she’s got it, and it looks like she’s got her ideas on how things should proceed.

You see, over at The Truth About Guns, we have a story that needs to be heard loud and clear.

Florida’s newly-elected Democrat Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Nikki Fried, oversees the issuance of concealed carry permits in the state. During her campaign, she vowed to use her office to crack down on guns in every way possible. I figured that meant that she’d accomplish that through creative interpretation and application of the laws concerning concealed carry in the Sunshine State.

Since taking office, she has added some well-known anti-gun individuals to her staff. Folks like Fred Guttenberg and Mary Barzee Flores.

Now, a fellow Florida gun owner I know (who wishes to remain anonymous) is facing some of the first effects of Fried’s anti-gun jihad. And he isn’t alone.

My friend received a certified letter from the  Commissioner’s office stating that his concealed weapons permit had been indefinitely suspended. The Ag Department claimed this was because he had an injunction (restraining order) filed against him in Nassau County in 2003. The only problem with that is that it never happened.

If that wasn’t enough, the friend reportedly had his permit confiscated when he tried to clear the whole thing up and was told he needed a certified letter proving his innocence.

Allegedly, as there was no restraining order filed against him, he provided the certified letter, only to be told it had to be sent off for “verification” and that he’d probably get his permit back in three to four weeks.

Now, keep in mind that this is reportedly someone who has done nothing wrong. The friend discussed had his permit issued in 2007 and underwent a complete background check, then again when he renewed that permit in 2017. Nothing showed up then. Now he has a certified letter stating the Ag Department is wrong, and he’s still getting the short end of the stick.

Further, the friend reports that he saw at least one other person who appeared to be dealing with the same issue.

So what the hell happened? I’m sure Fried’s office will treat it like it’s just a bureaucratic SNAFU and that these kinds of things happen, but it should be noted that they didn’t occur before. Yeah, a few hundred people did get permits they shouldn’t have, but that’s out of 2 million people. Plus, no one got stripped of a constitutional right–the right to bear arms–because of that office screwing up.

The big question is just how common is this? Is this happening to a lot of gun owners in Florida, or is Fried’s office just targetting a few here and there?

Knowing that will give us a better glimpse into the likely reason for this issue.