America First Legal (AFL) has obtained records from the Department of Justice (DOJ) that confirm that the FBI, at the request of Attorney General Merrick Garland, intimated parents who spoke against school boards.
“Records obtained by America First Legal (AFL) from the Department of Justice (DOJ) confirm that the infamous October 4, 2021, Garland memorandum was part of the Biden Administration’s ‘all of government’ assault on parents speaking up against critical race theory, mask mandates, and extreme gender indoctrination in public schools,” AFL wrote.
The original memo from Garland read, “In recent months, there has been a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff who participate in the vital work of running our nation’s public schools. While spirited debate about policy matters is protected under our Constitution, that protection does not extend to threats of violence or efforts to intimidate individuals based on their views.”
Discussing measures to “address the rise in criminal conduct” directed toward school officials, Garland added, “I am directing the Federal Bureau of Investigation, working with each United States Attorney, to convene meetings with federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial leaders in each federal judicial district within 30 days of the issuance of this memorandum. These meetings will facilitate the discussion of strategies for addressing threats against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff, and will open dedicated lines of communication for threat reporting, assessment, and response.”
The AFL asserts the memorandum was designed to “Intimidate parents” and “protect leftist political allies.”
The legal group now has documents from officials asking if “there were plans” for the DOJ to become involved in school board meeting disruptions.
One official said in another email that they were “very glad” to see Garland’s memo.
AFL’s Senior Advisor, Ian Prior, said in a statement, “America First Legal continues to uncover new information in its investigation of the Biden Administration’s weaponization of government against parents exercising their First Amendment rights to speak up at school board meetings.
“It is abundantly clear that multiple federal agencies were working together to silence Americans who were standing up for their children,” he continued. “This is a shocking abuse of power and we will continue to investigate and expose it to the American people who expect better and deserve better from their government.”
Last year, FBI whistleblowers disclosed evidence that the Department of Justice opened investigations into parents for allegedly threatening school boards.
Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Mike Johnson (R-La.) sent Garland a letter revealing the whistleblower statements and demanded that Garland rescind his memorandum.
The information contradicts Garland’s congressional testimony in which he denied the FBI investigating parents.
One mom was allegedly investigated by the FBI after she told school board members, “We are coming for you.”
The mom, who belongs to the right-wing group, “Moms for Liberty,” told FBI agents that her alleged threat was “a warning that her organization would seek to replace the school board with new members through the electoral process,” the letter explains.
Whistleblowers: The FBI has labeled dozens of investigations into parents with a threat tag created by the FBI's Counterterrorism Division pic.twitter.com/STlLdrfbMz
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) May 11, 2022
