Confirmed: Attorney General Garland Lied About FBI’s Parent Probe
Multiple individuals working for the FBI confirmed this week that the agency did in fact investigate parents who protested at school board meetings regarding pandemic rules and curriculum changes despite Attorney General Merrick Garland’s assertions to the contrary.
“You’ve got over two dozen cases that whistleblowers came to us about, that they had concerns on,” said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). “If that isn’t designed to chill speech, I don’t know what does.”
According to Jordan, the FBI used the counterterrorism threat tag EDUOFFICIALS to open dozens of investigations into GOP state officials and concerned parents “in almost every region” of the US and “relating to all types of educational settings.”
This is a direct contradiction to the testimony provided by Garland in October 2021, when he said the Justice Department was not using counterterrorism resources to investigate disgruntled parents.
“The Justice Department supports and defends the First Amendment right of parents to complain as vociferously as they wish about the education of their children, about the curriculum taught in schools,” said Garland, adding that any investigation sought only to identify “violence and threats of violence” against school board officials.
According to whistleblowers, the FBI used counterterrorism tools to investigate parents who:
- Opposed mask/vaccine mandates
- Said they owned firearms
- Belonged to parents’ rights groups including “Moms for Liberty”
- Opposed critical race theory
A mother of several elementary-aged children was terrified when she received a call from the FBI. A fellow parent had reported her to an FBI tip line after she voiced opposition to a mask mandate and vowed to vote school board officials out of office.
“She was asked about all kinds of things” by the FBI, said Moms for Liberty founder Tiffany Justice. “From mental health to whether or not they owned firearms…This is a mom who has been involved in her kids’ school” and has “brought information and data and tried to hold the district accountable. To see a parent singled out like this, and then to hear that there are so many other parents it’s happening to across the country, is concerning.”
Another parent contacted by the FBI was deemed an ‘insurrectionist’ for allegedly ‘railing against the government, believing in conspiracy theories, and owning guns.’
Both investigations were dropped almost immediately after the FBI spoke with the parents, but the fact that their rights were violated remains.
“This whistleblower information is startling,” continues Jordan. “You have subjected these moms and dads to the opening of an FBI investigation about them…as a direct result of their exercise of their fundamental constitutional right to speak and advocate for their children.”
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Garland issued a department-wide memorandum on October 4th, 2021 directing the FBI to team up with attorneys offices and police throughout the country to monitor what he described as “ an increase in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school board members, teachers, and workers in our nation’s public schools.”
The memorandum was issued shortly after President Joe Biden received a letter from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) begging for help addressing “the growing number of threats of violence and acts of intimidation occurring across the nation.” NSBA President Viola Garcia and interim Executive Director Chip Slaven claimed schools were under attack by angry parents and asked the federal government to utilize the Patriot Act to address “heinous actions” comparable “to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.”
Garland responded by opening the FBI tip line and kept it open even after NSBA officials apologized for writing the letter. As referenced above, the tip line was utilized to investigate and harass parents who voiced opposition to pandemic mandates and critical race theory. As reported by The Washington Times, it is unclear if the hotline is still being used to investigate perceived threats against school officials.
“This information we have received shows how, as a direct result of your directive, federal law enforcement is using counterterrorism resources to investigate protected First Amendment activity,” argues Jordan, who went on to describe the parent probe as one of many attacks on free speech occurring during the Biden Administration. “But I tell people to stand up, speak out, exercise your First Amendment liberties…Because if you don’t and if we don’t push back, then they’ll keep firing away!”
Garland has refused Republicans demands to void his October 4th memo and provide documentation on the FBI’s monitoring program, but GOP officials could soon have subpoena power to obtain that information if Republicans take control of the House during the midterm election.
Editor’s note: Remember this is the guy that Obama wanted to be on the Supreme Court. I think we dodged a bullet here, there is no honor in this man.
Sources:
Whistleblowers: FBI probed parents under counterterrorism ‘threat tag’ for protesting school boards
Republicans say FBI used anti-terror tools to garget outspoken parents
House Republicans say whistleblowers confirm FBI investigations into outraged parents
Of course he lied. The damned democrats party is a lie and sham
This is not news! News would be that Democrats didn’t lie!
Cute Alice, but having three sources that come of the same newsfeed is like having one source three times…. but you did have a source, you do that a lot and it’s appreciated. Just don’t have to sell after the close :>)
Help me with this. The Republicans somehow had whistleblowers come directly to them bypassing the known and accepted process for whistleblowing in the Government. And then, the Republicans noting that they had the quintessential smoking gun did not use the formal Government process for whistleblowing either, but opted to write a letter to the perpetrator which they then published in the media. How bold. How direct. How uncalled for given the proper process.
Behind the news, Jeffords had the whistleblower info starting in November of 2021 yet waited until May of 2022 to send a letter. Why?
Surprised they didn’t just pick up the phone. Oh, wait, when you don’t have the goods to take em to court, then try them in the court of public opinion where a letter can be golden
Can we just Vindman these blowers? heh, heh….
So, somebody lies. Either Jordan or Garland. At this point, given Jordan is trying this in the court of public opinion, skip the whistleblower process, and lets go to Congress. Bring Garland back to explain. Bring the blowers in to explain. Bring Jordan in to explain. Let’s get as close to the truth as we can.
But at this point, all we have is accusations, allegations, and it’s an election year, one has to question the timing since they had some of this info over six months ago.
Ha! Ha! Ha! That’s funny! You expect people who know they have a corrupt government to depend on government approved methods for reporting wrongdoing and illegal behaviors committed by the same corrupt government? Ha! Ha! Ha! You sound like you know nothing about the real world of government…or how corrupt their behaviors can be…especially when directed towards Whistle Blowers. As a 30+ year Federally protected Whistle Blower…I can tell you haven’t a clue, or you are simply trying to discredit those you know are telling the truth about government corruption. Try again.
So, writing a letter to the guy they are accusing and airing it out is a better process? What’s next? Twitter?
Really though, what’s next? What is the Jefford’s process from here?
Yes -,I do remember the example of corrupt government and whistle blower treatment under Trump. It was terrible. ,
REMOVE GARLAND , OUT,OUT,OUT !!!!!! HE IS LIKE THE BIDEN’S …. NOTHING BUT A LIE !!!!!!!!!!
Yes, I can understand how you might feel that Jeffords doesn’t have the ability to sheppard a whistleblower through the process without corruption and how the Federal Government became completely corrupt in 18 months of Joe Biden. Because you know the government to be corrupt yet continue to hang about here since you have “protection?”
I don’t think I discredited anyone for beliefs in corruption.
I think I said I wondered why Jeffords would would around the barn seeking public opinion instead of using any type of existing process during an election year? But hey, corruption could be an answer, sure.
As to treatment of whistleblower, during the reign of Trump, I think I have seen quite a bit of what you talk about: in 2019 Trump unmasked a whistleblower he did not like, Vindman had his career cut short for whistleblowing on Trump, he fired five IGs to send a message to whistleblowers (no President ever fired more than one), and then there’s the Kavanaugh hearing, a shitshow of whistleblowers, none of whom faired well. So, yeah, I get it that some Presidents treat whistleblowers badly — Trump sure did.
But I do not expect the whistleblower process to be weaponized by the Biden administration beyond the normal pushbacks in these things. Obviously, you feel different.
Really does not matter since what I said was: “So, somebody lies. Either Jordan or Garland. At this point, given Jordan is trying this in the court of public opinion, skip the whistleblower process, and lets go to Congress. Bring Garland back to explain. Bring the blowers in to explain. Bring Jordan in to explain. Let’s get as close to the truth as we can.”
I am not sure what process you expect Jeffords to follow at this point given he is already off the reservation, but that was my opinion which you condemn, but offer no alternatives or recommendations beyond your opinions on government corruption supported by your personal whistleblower experience.
Because the bottom line, as I said, is that, at this point, all we have is accusations, allegations, and it’s an election year, one has to question the timing since they had some of this info over six months ago. But, by all means, bring both of these folks back to Congress for an election year shit show we can all enjoy screaming at while watching…. Unless you actually have a clue beyond “all government is corrupt, I know, I am a whistleblower….” That might be interesting.
Again, Frank, please organize your thoughts before you write them. This is so confusing, and doesn’t seem to be relevant. The story is about Garland lying, not about Trump’s treatment of whistleblowers.
Focus.
“Confusion will be my epitaph.” King Crimson
Joe the confused: Maybe if you kept up with your own thread you would have realized I was responding to RJ and could have focused yourself better.
RJ said: “Ha! Ha! Ha! That’s funny! You expect people who know they have a corrupt government to depend on government approved methods for reporting wrongdoing and illegal behaviors committed by the same corrupt government?” thus, paragraphs one and two
then he said: “Ha! Ha! Ha! You sound like you know nothing about the real world of government…or how corrupt their behaviors can be…especially when directed towards Whistle Blowers.” to which I wrote paragraphs 4 and 5.
He added: “As a 30+ year Federally protected Whistle Blower…I can tell you haven’t a clue, or you are simply trying to discredit those you know are telling the truth about government corruption. Try again.” a request to try again, which I have, apparently to your complete confusion, as is your way, which covers the rest of my tome, plus an actual conclusion/recommendation, a concept you often lack…..
But great dialoging with you, even if I wasn’t……
Covid Larry may be suffering an internal coup due to medical difficulties suffered while avoiding the mask and hanging tight with the bowling buds. The Trumplicant Oligarchs may be upset over his naming The Big Lie, well, a lie. Larry recently recanted and said he didn’t meanna lie, he meant allies. Between that, getting the vaccine, , and his biggest Trumplican issue: his Trump Top Ten Achievements only had ten entries, we may have seen a reason for the coup. .
Perhaps this isn’t even Larry writing the piece. I know there’s a lot of Ben’s over here, a couple of Frank Stetsons, why not two Larry’s?
There WERE other Larrys (Larries?). We hunted them down and staked them over anthills, with honey over their…
Please Joe, Perry is getting 😆 excited.
Hell yes!!!!!