ACLJ Investigates FBI Astro-Turfing Domestic Terrorism Statistics

In December, the ACLJ began an investigation of the FBI’s keeping of its domestic terrorism statistics after it was reportedly fudging the numbers for presumed political reasons.

We recently sent the FBI a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request about reports that, to quote our FOIA:

[O]n June 15, 2021, Attorney General Garland published his remarks on domestic terrorism, stating that the FBI has significantly increased its number of open investigations into domestic terrorism in response to an increased threat.

However, on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, the Washington Times reported that the FBI was padding domestic terrorism numbers. Representative Jim Jordan stated that whistleblowers from the FBI have come forward claiming that the FBI leadership is encouraging and incentivizing agents to reclassify cases to domestic terrorism even though the basis is dubious.

The entire FOIA can be read here.  The ACLJ is not just investigating “padding” but also what is being “padded.”

For example, in Request 3, we are asking about:

The Field Office and Headquarter record(s) showing the domestic terrorist classification(s) of Antifa and its crimes and protests, in Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon . . . .

The answer to this request will show us how the Deep State is classifying violent leftist extremists.

Also, in Request 2 we ask about how the FBI is classifying concerned parents exercising their rights of free speech and petition.  We ask for:

The records of communications by FBI Headquarters to FBI Field offices concerning the classification of parents appearing before school boards as alleged DVEs [domestic violent extremists] . . . .

Raising children, educating them, and dealing with the educational bureaucracy is hard enough without being investigated by the FBI or classified as a potential terrorist, but the Deep State acts in its own interest (despite its claims to act for our interests). Unfortunately, we already know this is happening due to leaked FBI memos. As we previously explained:

President Biden’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is trying to target parents. They are now utilizing the resources of the federal government to go after parents for vigorously defending their children at local school board meetings. Essentially, the FBI is investigating parents with the same resources they would use to investigate crimes like drug offenses and human trafficking.

The FBI has responded with an acknowledgement (a FOIA term of art that means that it has received our request) but not a determination (another FOIA term of art that tells us whether there are responsive records).  It has 20 business days to give us a determination (which can be increased by an extra 10 days).

But we anticipate litigation because we expect the FBI to deny this request, as they have attempted to deny many other of our FOIAs (which they come to regret in court).

We will keep you posted.