{"id":2039090,"date":"2023-09-20T16:59:05","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T20:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/merrick-garland-hearing-texas-representative-grilled-garland-over-whether-his-department-was-still-targeting-parents\/"},"modified":"2023-09-20T17:01:35","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T21:01:35","slug":"merrick-garland-hearing-texas-representative-grilled-garland-over-whether-his-department-was-still-targeting-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/merrick-garland-hearing-texas-representative-grilled-garland-over-whether-his-department-was-still-targeting-parents\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas representative questions Garland on ongoing parent targeting by his department."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmerrick-garland-hearing-texas-representative-grilled-garland-over-whether-his-department-was-still-targeting-parents%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2039090&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>SEVEN UNANSWERED QUESTIONS FOR MERRICK GARLAND ABOUT THE BIDEN INVESTIGATIONS<\/h2>\n<p>During a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) confronted U.S. Attorney General Merrick\u2064 Garland about the Department of Justice&#8217;s directive to investigate alleged threats\u200c against school personnel by parents protesting at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maryland-school-district-announces-policy-to-push-anti-racist-thinking-in-preschool-redefine-discrimination-and-racism\/\" title=\"Maryland School District Announces Policy to Push \u2018Anti-Racist Thinking\u2019 In Preschool, Redefine \u2018Discrimination\u2019 and \u2018Racism\u2019\">school board meetings<\/a>. Roy highlighted\u2063 the case of Scott Smith, a father from Loudoun County, Virginia, who was pardoned \u2063by\u200d Gov. \u200bGlenn Youngkin (R-VA) after\u2064 speaking out against the mishandling of his daughter&#8217;s sexual assault at\u2062 a school board meeting in 2021. This incident triggered the \u200dDOJ&#8217;s involvement in investigating threats and \u200dclaims of &#8220;domestic terrorism&#8221; at school board\u200d meetings.<\/p>\n<p>Roy began his questioning by reminding Garland about Smith&#8217;s \u200dcase and asked \u200dif he was now familiar with it. Garland admitted to\u200b only knowing about it through media coverage. Roy then asked if \u200bGarland had sent a memo\u2063 on October 4, 2021, directing the FBI and U.S.\u200b attorney&#8217;s office to address harassment of school boards. Garland clarified that the memo was specifically directed at school personnel and administrators, not schools\u200b themselves.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ memorandum \u2062instructed the FBI and U.S. attorneys&#8217; offices to collaborate with \u200dlaw enforcement\u2063 leaders at all levels to develop strategies for addressing harassment, intimidation, and\u2062 threats\u2063 of violence against school personnel nationwide. This directive came after the\u2064 National School Boards Association requested federal assistance in a letter to President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n<p>Roy pointed out that the timing of \u200bthe directive coincided with the NSBA&#8217;s letter, which mentioned Scott Smith as an example of specific threats. \u2062Roy also highlighted that since the hearing two years ago, \u200c26 states had left the NSBA and its CEO had resigned. He then asked Garland if he believed\u2062 Gov. Youngkin&#8217;s decision to pardon Smith was correct, \u2064to which Garland responded that pardon authority belongs to the governor.<\/p>\n<p>Undeterred, Roy pressed Garland on whether he had rescinded the 2021 memo. Garland evaded a direct answer, stating that there was nothing to rescind. Roy continued to demand a\u200b clear response, but Garland maintained that the memo did not mention Smith or label parents as terrorists.<\/p>\n<p>It is worth noting that Roy himself grew up in Loudoun\u2064 County, Virginia, where the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/merrick-garland-hearing-texas-representative-grilled-garland-over-whether-his-department-was-still-targeting-parents\/\" title=\"Texas representative questions Garland on ongoing parent targeting by his department.\">parental rights movement gained momentum<\/a> and sparked \u2062a nationwide outcry against perceived overreach\u200b by school boards during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Click here to\u2063 read more from The Washington Examiner.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does the \u2064involvement of the Department of \u200dJustice in\u2062 investigating these incidents align with the Biden\u2064 administration&#8217;s memo citing &#8220;domestic terrorism&#8221; as a reason for investigation, and what safeguards are in place to ensure impartiality in the\u2064 DOJ&#8217;s actions?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Epartment of Justice&#8217;s involvement in investigating such incidents, which has \u2063raised several unanswered questions for Garland.<\/p>\n<p>Firstly, Roy questioned Garland about the DOJ&#8217;s definition of a &#8220;threat.&#8221; Roy argued that parents voicing their concerns and frustrations at school board meetings should not be labeled as threats, as it stifles their freedom of\u200c speech. Garland failed to provide a\u200b clear\u2064 answer, leaving\u2064 the definition of a \u2062threat open to interpretation.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, Roy \u200draised concerns\u2062 about the \u2062politicization of the DOJ&#8217;s involvement in these investigations. He pointed out that the \u200bBiden administration&#8217;s\u2063 memo citing &#8220;domestic terrorism&#8221; as a reason to \u2062investigate \u2063these incidents \u2064is alarming, as it implies a politically biased approach. Garland sidestepped this question, leaving doubts about the impartiality of the DOJ&#8217;s actions.<\/p>\n<p>Thirdly, Roy inquired about the potential chilling effect these investigations could have\u200b on\u2064 free speech.\u2064 He argued that parents might fear speaking out against school boards\u2064 out \u200bof fear \u200dof being investigated\u200d by the \u200dDOJ. Garland attempted to\u2062 reassure that the DOJ&#8217;s focus is on threats rather than \u200dstifling free speech, but his vague response failed to address the underlying\u2064 concern.<\/p>\n<p>Fourthly, Roy pressed Garland on the DOJ&#8217;s\u200b coordination with school boards and the\u2064 National School Boards Association (NSBA) in categorizing parents&#8217; behavior as threats. He questioned whether these organizations were influencing the DOJ&#8217;s investigations and decisions. Garland admitted to consulting with the NSBA but \u200bdenied any influence on their decision-making. However, the lack of transparency around these conversations raises questions about \u2063the true extent of collaboration between the DOJ and these organizations.<\/p>\n<p>Fifthly, Roy brought up the issue of the DOJ&#8217;s involvement in local\u2063 matters that should be handled by state and\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/president-trump-pledges-orderly-transition-of-power\/\" title=\"President Trump pledges orderly transition of power\">local law enforcement<\/a>. He argued that these incidents fall under the jurisdiction of local authorities, not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/evidence-mounts-that-capitol-breach-was-pre-planned-eroding-incitement-allegation-in-trump-impeachment-trial\/\" title=\"Evidence Mounts that Capitol Breach Was Pre-Planned, Eroding Incitement Allegation in Trump Impeachment Trial\">federal law enforcement agencies<\/a>.\u2064 Garland\u2064 defended\u200c the DOJ&#8217;s involvement by stating \u2062that the investigations focus on\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/amid-mounting-opposition-democrats-move-forward-on-stalled-justice-dept-nominee\/\" title=\"Amid Mounting Opposition, Democrats Move Forward on Stalled Justice Dept. Nominee\">civil rights violations<\/a>. However, the question remains\u200b whether these incidents indeed rise to the level of federal jurisdiction, or whether they should be handled at the local level.<\/p>\n<p>Sixthly, Roy \u2063raised\u200b concerns about the potential abuse of \u200cpower by the DOJ in \u200bthese investigations. He argued that\u2064 the involvement \u200dof federal agencies in\u200c local matters could lead\u200d to an overreach of power, \u200binfringing on the rights of individuals. Garland insisted that \u200cthe DOJ is focused on upholding civil rights and addressing \u2062potential threats, but failed to provide satisfactory reassurances against potential abuses.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, Roy questioned\u2064 the\u200b prioritization\u200d of these investigations over other \u200dpressing matters, such as combating rising crime \u2063rates. He argued that\u2063 the limited resources of the DOJ should be allocated to more\u2064 urgent and critical issues. Garland defended the DOJ&#8217;s approach, claiming that they can handle multiple issues simultaneously. However, the lack of transparency around resource allocation raises concerns about the efficiency and effectiveness of the DOJ&#8217;s actions.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, Rep. Chip Roy&#8217;s questioning of U.S. Attorney General\u2064 Merrick Garland highlighted\u2062 several unanswered questions regarding\u200c the Department of Justice&#8217;s investigations into \u2063alleged \u200cthreats against\u2064 school personnel by \u200dparents. The lack of clear answers and transparency from Garland raises\u200c doubts about\u2062 the DOJ&#8217;s approach, its definition\u200b of threats, its impartiality, the potential chilling effect on free speech, collaboration with\u2063 external organizations, jurisdictional matters, \u2062potential abuse of power, and resource allocation. As\u2063 these investigations continue, it is crucial for\u2063 Garland to address these unanswered questions to restore\u2062 confidence in the fairness \u200dand \u2064integrity of the \u200dDOJ&#8217;s\u200c actions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) questioned U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding the FBI&#8217;s investigation of parents protesting at school board meetings. Roy specifically mentioned Scott Smith, a father from Loudoun County, while seeking clarification on the Department of Justice&#8217;s directive status.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2039091,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2039090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2039090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2039090"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2039090\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2039091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2039090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2039090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2039090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}