“The FBI is complying with the committee’s requests in good faith,” Dunham said. Since January, the FBI provided 1,000 pages of documents on nine topics, he said. How did the FBI, Education Department reply?Īdministration officials said they were working to provide documents requested but have to vet them for confidential information such as personal data or how decisions were made.Ĭhristopher Dunham, FBI acting assistant director of the office of congressional affairs, said since 2021 the agency testified at 32 congressional hearings and participated in hundreds of briefings. “A subpoena the day after you replied is outrageous.”Īttorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray speak during a news conference in January. “You’ve done everything you needed to do,” said Ivey, a former assistant U.S. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., said the FBI and Education Department were being held to an unreasonable standard. “No parent has a right to threaten a school board volunteer,” Swalwell said. Eric Swalwell of California, accused Republicans of serving Trump as a “committee on obstruction of justice.” “The American people want answers,” he said.īut Democrats said Republicans were unrealistic with their demands because the agencies were providing documents and holding meetings to provide more. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., said the witnesses hadn’t provided any substantive information. “This committee will not allow delay and indifference to obstruct the legislative process,” Cline said. The result was a partisan clash over the pace the committee received documents.Ĭline, the chairman of a Judiciary subcommittee reviewing the Biden administration’s response to document requests, said the FBI produced four pages of documents about school boards by a March 1 deadline and more later. House Republicans called another hearing Wednesday to question the FBI and Education Department about providing more documents dealing with school board investigations. GOP demands answers, Democrats call requests 'outrageous' Education Secretary Miguel Cardona listens at right. 24, 2022, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. President Joe Biden responds to a question about the FBI search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate Wednesday, Aug. All of them in the end were referred to state and local” authorities. “My understanding is that there were no full field investigations opened at all. “The investigations were not aimed at hard-working individuals who were just trying to protest,” Garland said. Pence must testify, judge says: Former VP Pence must testify about conversations with Trump before Jan. Garland said the memo was aimed at violence and threats of violence, and that parents protesting at school boards are protected by the Constitution. “Six were actually investigated by the counterterrorism division of the FBI, citizens of this country who were trying to make their voices heard at their school board meetings and instead were tagged by the FBI as terrorists by agents of this government seeking to silence their voices,” Cline said at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the Justice Department’s budget. Ben Cline, R-Va., said Garland should withdraw the memo because it resulted in federal counterterrorism agents investigating Americans protesting at school boards rather than leaving conflicts for local authorities. Donald Trump: Inside Manhattan DA's latest legal tangle with former president The revelation about how many reports the memo generated is significant to House Republicans because they have accused the Justice Department of targeting parents protesting at school boards, which Garland denies.Īlvin Bragg v. Garland issued his memo to FBI agents about assisting local law enforcement days after receiving a letter from the National School Boards Association, which followed widespread reports of parents threatening school board members, administrators and teachers over COVID-19 policies. WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick Garland told a House panel Wednesday the FBI received 22 reports of threats against school officials after he circulated a controversial 2021 memo and the agency referred six cases to state and local authorities to investigate.
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