U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) today met with officials from the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA OIG) about their role in obtaining private information from the state about Missourians holding concealed carry weapon licenses in a face-to-face meeting in which the agency both verbally and in writing responded to detailed questions about its role in seeking the information.

During a meeting this morning in Luetkemeyer’s office in Washington, D.C., with Social Security Administration Inspector General Patrick O’Carroll, Jr. and the agent in charge of the investigation, information was shared with Luetkemeyer about the circumstances and conflicting information surrounding the agency’s attempts to request information from the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri Department of Revenue. Those state agencies ultimately provided a full list of Missourians holding concealed carry permits that O’Carroll said was never accessed or shared by the federal agency and ultimately the information was destroyed.

“I’m glad to have finally met face-to-face with the federal investigators to get answers to our questions and I’ve also encouraged them to answer questions from the state legislature. It’s important for me to hear from federal officials directly and I am satisfied with the result of the discussion,” Luetkemeyer said. “Rest assured we will continue to ensure that the federal government always abides by the laws and protocols under which it must operate.”