The Republican-led Committee on the Judiciary and its Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government issued an interim report Tuesday on the Department of Justice’s aggressive actions and investigations into parents who dared to voice concerns about local school boards. The committee made no bones about its conclusions, headlining the document in hold and all caps:
The committee began its investigation in October 2021 after members learned of the issuance “of a memorandum from Attorney General Merrick Garland directing the Federal Bureau of Investigation and all U.S. Attorney’s Offices—among other Department components—to examine and address threats posed by parents at school board meetings.” The FBI went on to routinely investigate parents who criticized school boards, including a father for simply opposing mask mandates and a mom deemed a threat for “owning guns” and belonging to a conservative parent group called “Moms for Liberty.” Throughout the report, the committee describes the stonewalling and lack of response from Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Biden Administration. Nevertheless, members were able to glean enough information from whistleblowers, subpoenaed documents, and a report commissioned by the National School Boards Association (NSBA) which labeled parents as “domestic terrorists” to write the interim account:
The document then describes how regional FBI offices and local law enforcement often were not pleased with the DOJ’s interference and thought the entire effort was “misapplied.” In one instance the Southern District of Alabama reported to DOJ headquarters about a shooting at a school board member’s house—although the shooting had nothing to do with the school board and was the result of random gun violence. So if there were few real threats from parents to local school boards, why did the FBI respond in this ham-handed fashion? The committee concludes that it was all political:
They even imply—but don’t come right out and say it—that the DOJ’s overreach could have been an attempt to influence an important election:
The report rips the Justice Department in its final paragraph:
It’s a powerful report, though much of what is described was already known. The problem with reports like this is that we read them and think, “Oh my God! These people should be arrested!” But then nothing happens. Merrick Garland certainly isn’t going to read it, and Joe Biden’s handlers could give a rip, so life goes on. Nevertheless, I applaud the Republicans for at least exposing the DOJ’s and the FBI’s malfeasance. If people get mad enough and wake up to what’s really going on in this country—the complete weaponization of our justice system—perhaps change will eventually come. |
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