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Who is Daniel Driscoll? All about US Army Secretary who has replaced Kash Patel as acting ATF chief
Daniel Driscoll spent as many as four years in the Army, including a deployment to Iraq in 2009.
FBI Director Kash Patel was reportedly removed as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives after he ghosted the gig. Patel, who remains in his FBI role, has been replaced by US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll. Driscoll will work in both roles.
Glenn Thrush, a New York Times reporter based in Washington, reported that Driscoll was informed about the change only “VERY recently,” noting that he was selected as he was already confirmed by the Senate. He also referred to the sudden swap of Patel for Driscoll as “unusual.”
Who is Daniel Driscoll?
Driscoll, 38, was confirmed to the top Army job by the Senate recently. He is a former senior adviser to Vice President JD Vance. Driscoll spent as many as four years in the Army, including a deployment to Iraq in 2009.
As ATF head, Driscoll will be responsible for spearheading efforts within the Department of Justice to investigate federal offenses related to firearms use and sales. He will also be tasked with probing illegal sales of explosives, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, Military Times reported.
According to army.mil, as Secretary of the Army, Driscoll “oversees operations, modernization, and resource allocation for nearly one million Active, Guard, and Reserve Soldiers and more than 265,000 Army Civilians. A former Army officer and business leader, Secretary Driscoll brings experience spanning military service, law, and the private sector.”
Driscoll is a native of Boone, North Carolina. His grandfather served in the Army during World War II as a decoder, while his father served as an infantryman during Vietnam.
“Secretary Driscoll was commissioned in 2007 as an Armor Officer through the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School. While on active duty, he led a cavalry platoon in the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, and deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009. His military awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Ranger Tab, and Combat Action Badge,” the website says.
Driscoll went to Yale Law School and worked in Yale’s Veterans Legal Services Clinic after departing active duty. Army.mil says, “He has held leadership roles in investment banking, private equity, and business operations, including as Chief Operating Officer of a $200 million venture capital fund. Secretary Driscoll holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. He is a member of the North Carolina State Bar, the Rotary Club, VFW Post 1134, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.”
Driscoll is married to Cassie Driscoll, a plastic surgeon. The couple has two children, Daniel Jr. and Lila.
