Attorney General Merrick Garland was questioned about whether FBI agents will be attending local school board meetings.
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) spoke out against a memo issued by Garland this month urging FBI and federal prosecutors to speak with local law enforcement agencies and establish “dedicated lines of communication,” as The Washington Post reports.
“Dedicated lines of communication for threat reporting. A snitch line on parents started five days after a left-wing political organization asked for it. If that’s not political, I don’t know what is. Where’s the dedicated lines of communication with local leaders regarding our southern border?” Jordan explained.
He continued, “Where’s the dedicated lines of communication on violent crime in our cities? Violent crime that has went up in every major urban area where Democrats have defunded the police. Nope can’t do that. Can’t do that. The Biden Justice Department’s going to go after parents who object to some racist, hate-America, curriculum.”
Jordan went on to ask Garland, “Will FBI agents be attending local school board meetings?”
He responded, “No. FBI agents will not be attending local school board meetings and there is nothing in this memo to suggest that.”
Watch their remarks below:
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) asks AG Merrick Garland if “FBI agents will be attending local school board meetings” because the DOJ is addressing violent threats against members.
— The Recount (@therecount) October 21, 2021
Garland says no. pic.twitter.com/ITtr6SpuW6
Earlier this month, the Justice Department issued a statement responding to violent threats against school officials and teachers.
“Citing an increase in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school board members, teachers and workers in our nation’s public schools, today Attorney General Merrick B. Garland directed the FBI and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to meet in the next 30 days with federal, state, Tribal, territorial and local law enforcement leaders to discuss strategies for addressing this disturbing trend,” the statement reads.
It continues, “These sessions will open dedicated lines of communication for threat reporting, assessment and response by law enforcement.”
Garland’s memo says the Justice Department will “launch a series of additional efforts in the coming days designed to address the rise in criminal conduct directed toward school personnel.”
According to the department, threats against school board members and other workers can be reported to the FBI through a tip line.
Jordan is not the only Republican to express concern with the memo.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) tweeted, “Attorney General Garland is weaponizing the DOJ by using the FBI to pursue concerned parents and silence them through intimidation.”
He added, “Florida will defend the free speech rights of its citizens and will not allow federal agents to squelch dissent.”
Attorney General Garland is weaponizing the DOJ by using the FBI to pursue concerned parents and silence them through intimidation.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 5, 2021
Florida will defend the free speech rights of its citizens and will not allow federal agents to squelch dissent.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) also said during a Senate hearing, “Frankly, I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like it in American history. … Are you aware of any time in American history when an attorney general has directed the FBI to begin to intervene in school board meetings — local school board meetings?”
As the Post notes, “The bottom line is Republicans are reading much more into Garland’s memo than it says.”
The report continues, “The memo focuses strictly on ‘violence, threats of violence, and other forms of intimidation and harassment’ — all of which are crimes — not on parents raising questions or complaints.”
