Garland Defiantly Pledges Feds Will Continue Monitoring Parents Protesting At School Boards
Garland still cannot cite one specific example of violence or threat of violence: “I said, again, at the time, that they were news reports that had been published. And I think some of the other senators here have described some of those news reports.”
AG Garland doubled down on his memo pushing the FBI and other DOJ departments on concerned parents at school board meetings. Garland denied the NSBA letter describing those parents as domestic terrorists and whining for help influenced his decision. Yet, Garland’s move came right after the administration received the letter.
The NSBA apologized for the description, but Garland will not back away from his memo:
The committee’s ranking member, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, claimed that the DOJ memo had a “poisonous, chilling effect” on speech, as it specifically dealt with opposition to school board officials. When he appeared before the House Judiciary Committee last week, Garland acknowledged the influence of the NSBA’s original letter, which cited instances including non-violent behavior that did not include threats, but that was deemed disruptive.
The NSBA had called for the use of measures including the PATRIOT Act, which is typically used to address terrorism. Their second letter said they “regret and apologize for the letter,” stating that “there was no justification for some of the language” that they had used.
“I assume you’re going to revoke your extremely divisive memo that you said was instigated because of that letter?” Grassley asked.
Garland defended the memo, claiming that it was a response “to concerns about violence, threats of violence, other criminal conduct.”
“That’s all it’s about,” he continued, “and all it asks is for federal law enforcement to consult with, meet with local law enforcement to assess the circumstances, strategize about what may or may not be necessary to provide federal assistance if it’s necessary.”
Biden’s Attorney General Merrick Garland says he stands by the DOJ memo targeting parents at school boards meetings—spurred by a letter from the National School Boards Association asking them to investigate concerned parents for "possible acts of domestic terrorism." pic.twitter.com/7uHdklVwvU
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 27, 2021
Garland told Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) the letter did not influence him and his only concern is violence:
“The letter that was subsequently sent does not change the association’s concern of violence or threats of violence. It alters some of the language in the letter … that we did not rely on and is not contained in my own memorandum,” Garland said after committee chairman Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., asked if he had “second thoughts” following the apology.
Garland claimed that the DOJ is not just concerned about school board officials, but a “rising tide” of violence against judges, prosecutors, election administrators, and others.
“The only thing the Justice Department is concerned about: violence and threats of violence,” he said.
AG Merrick Garland strongly defends school boards and other elected officials from right-wing threats of violence, "The only thing the Justice Department is concerned about is violence and threats of violence." pic.twitter.com/Z6gOITBXKc
— PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) October 27, 2021
The NSBA letter and Garland’s memo do not cite specific examples of violence, threats, intimidation, or harassment.
Garland still cannot provide an example except “news reports”:
GARLAND: “Senator, to the best of my recollection, I said the impetus for my memorandum was that letter and also reports of this kind of activity.”
LEE: “What reports?”
GARLAND: “I said, again, at the time, that they were news reports that had been published. And I think some of the other senators here have described some of those news reports. And we have certainly seen subsequently more news reports and more statements by board members of threats to kill them.”
In an exchange with @SenMikeLee, AG Garland is asked to cite specific threats of violence that led to him announce a probe into parents protesting at school board meetings. Garland can't cite a single one beyond "news reports." pic.twitter.com/kERupDGM1F
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 27, 2021
Garland continued to twist his memo to fit the narrative since the NSBA apologized and now he has to say the letter did not lead to his decision.
Garland used the usual keywords and phrases like “violence” and “threats” of violence when Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) asked if he ever considered “the chilling effect this would have on parents’ constitutional rights”:
CORNYN: “Mr. Attorney General, you’ve acknowledged that parents have a right, a constitutional right to be heard on the education of their children in public schools. Can you imagine the sort of intimidation, the sort of bullying impact that a memorandum from the Department of Justice would have and how that would chill the willingness of parents to exercise their rights under threat of federal prosecution? Did you consider the chilling impact your memorandum would have on parents exercising their constitutional rights?”
GARLAND: “The only thing this memorandum is about is violence and threats of violence. And it opens with a statement –”
CORNYN: “But my question is did you consider the chilling effect this would have on parents’ constitutional rights?”
GARLAND: “To say that the Justice Department is against violence and threats of violence –”
CORNYN: “Did you consider the chilling effect your memorandum might have on parents exercising their constitutional rights? I think you can answer that yes or no.”
GARLAND: “What I considered, I wanted the memorandum to assure people that we recognize the rights of spirited debate and –”
CORNYN: “Mr. Attorney General, you’re a very intelligent and accomplished lawyer and judge. You can answer the question, did you consider –”
GARLAND: “I do not — I do not –” [crosstalk]
CORNYN: “– the chilling effect that this sort of threat of federal prosecution would have on parents’ exercise of their constitutional rights to be involved in their children’s education?”
GARLAND: “I don’t believe it’s reasonable to read this memorandum as chilling anyone’s rights. It’s about threats of violence. And it expressively recognizes the constitutional right to make arguments about your children’s education.”
Sen. @JohnCornyn: "Did you consider the chilling impact your memorandum would have on parents exercising their constitutionals rights?"
Attorney General Garland: "I don't think it's reasonable to read this memo and think it's chilling anyones rights." pic.twitter.com/6Qb8DZd71k
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 27, 2021
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Comments
Thank you, Mitch McConnell, for Garland’s absence from the Supreme Court.
He should also have been kept out of the AG post. Don’t thank Mitch for doing half the job.
Agreed. ANY GOP Senate Majority leader could have done what he did with Garland. ANYONE.
We’re thanking him for leaving his Communist Chinese investments long enough to do something we elected him for?
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2021/01/19/limbaugh-on-mcconnell-wife-financial-ties-to-china-schweizers-bombshells-have-not-been-wrong/
McConnell is a rat.
I loved Tom Cotton’s final comment. “You should resign in disgrace. Thank God you did not make it onto the Supreme Court!”
G A R L A N D + M U S T + R E S I G N
Worst Attorney general in modern history.
Part of the worst administration in modern history.
The longer BIDEN sticks by this idiot – the worse BIDEN looks.
>>> Garland must resign – OR BE REMOVED.
The Bundys showed us the proper response to this: surround the surrounders.
Now, Virginia parents, aren’t you sorry you pressured Congress into passing the Gun Free School Zones Act?
C L E A R + C O N F L I C T + O F + I N T E R E S T
Garland has a clear conflict of interest. He child and her spouse benefit directly by selling products/ services that the parents oppose.
He should be impeached on that basis alone.
He is a disgrace to the office.
How could someone who was considered to a seat on the SCOTUS – say that he does not —
. (a) see a conflict;
. (b) see how his memo would have a chilling effect on free speech
“How could someone who was considered to a seat on the SCOTUS – say that he does not —
. (a) see a conflict;
. (b) see how his memo would have a chilling effect on free speech”
The left celebrates their liars and cheaters, and fasicsts even more. You really think a corrupt weirdo like Garland is anything but a liar, cheater and a fascist?
https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=merrick+garland%2C+conflict+of+interest&ia=web
HOW WILL THE WOKE MEDIA SPIN TODAY’S TESTIMONY ? ?
This was a terrible day for GARLAND and BIDEN’s administration. Tone-deaf AG DOUBLES-DOWN on ATTACK ON PARENTS – even after NSBA withdrew their anti-parent letter.
It’s hard to imagine how this could be SPUN into anything positive. But CNN, NBC, NY Times, WaPo and others will surely find a way.
LET’S GO BRANDON.
Sinking ship headed to the ocean floor.
The ARM Mexico pulls up next to the USS Titanic and requests that all their worst people be allowed to come aboard. Capt Biden lowers the gangway and says “Welcome to America.” Then immediately issues an executive order to take all life preservers from the American passengers and hand them over to the arriving Mexicans.
They’ll just ignore it, and it’ll pass – just like Afghanistan: there are STILL Americans trapped in Afghanistan!
And just as they’ll ignore it, the likes of Garland will keep inching their way into our freedom.
The hell with the democrat media: don’t let the GOP drop it.
Media fully supports anything involving the Democrat Party you should know that by now.
@ Danny – If you read my post – you know I basically said the same thing you wrote.
THERE GOES VIRGINIA
Virginia voters now know the depth of the Progressive ideological commitment to eliminating PARENTS from deciding on what is taught to their kids.
Even if you do not have kids in school now – you cannot accept this.
Even if you are a Democrat – you cannot accept this
If you are a Democrat – you must show the party that it is going in the wrong direction. Woke is a dead-end.
VIRGINA VOTERS MUST SEND A MESSAGE.
It’s cute that you think voters can send any message.
Doesn’t matter how many votes there are. Youngkin is going to be ahead the entire day, then late at night McAuliffe is going to magically get enough votes to just barely win. Just like all the other elections they’ve stolen.
The Bridges at Tokyo-Ri, “Where do we get such men?”
Like Garland? They’re a dime a dozen, and they populate every prison in the world.
Very true.
“Like Garland? They’re a dime a dozen, and they populate every prison in the world”
As concentration camp guards.
The Biden Administration, “Where do we find such worms?”
This is so stupid. The Democrats know that pushing something like CRT on the country will be so infuriating that people will be screaming and demanding repeal with all their might. Every politician that has to deal with this will have to waste resources fighting it and then it will be easier for Dems to pass ridiculous spending plans they actually care about.
The insane far left has taken over too much power and the days of Pelosi being able to moderate them is over. Imagine some day in the future when Rashida Tlaib is nominated as AG.
It’s almost like they think they don’t actually have to worry about answering to voters anymore.
So why is it ‘stupid’ if it succeeds? WE ARE STUPID for allowing it.
Only one way to stop it. Hope I am wrong.
You’re not. BLM and Antifa are showung the way.
We have no choice but to stop it. I’m just sick of political hazing.
History is going to refer to Garland as ‘Attorney General Chilling Effect.’
The plan is for history to be written by the CCP. Garland is just a tool that will be disposed of when his utility zeros out.
Their plan is to have history and current events written by the American Fascist Party (A.K.A. Democrat Party) and anything else be labelled dangerous violence.
Unless the CCP is involved (in this case it isn’t) leave it out of the conversation, stop sounding like your Anton Denikin needing to pretend he is fighting Germany when his enemies are other Russians.
We are in a political fight with ourselves. I don’t think China has anything to do with the Democrats.
We are losing right now despite some minor wins and we will lose if we pretend to be in a fight against a foreign power instead of an internal political struggle.
You got that right.
Keep it local.
And parents: keep showing up for your children!
I agree. The Democrats are acting as if they know something we don’t, and their aggressiveness reeks of emboldendment.
Crazy loon
Yeah. I recall Garlnand saying he wouldn’t LABEL parents domestic terrorists. Thinking at the time, yeah. You won’t label But you’ll treat them as such.
I’m also disgusted by Republs basically begging for nominees to please, please tell us the right lies. I remember Kagan being grilled (if that’s the right word) about gay marriage. She said their IS no right to same sex marriage. Now, I don’t care where you stand on this. But that was a tell. There IS no right to SSM. But there f***ing will be. At the moment, no. But install me and there will be.
But please, Ms. Kagan, tell me about the current state of the law. Not how you’re going to change it.
I don’t believe you have to be butt heart about gay marriage to dislike being lied to like that. To your face. In real time. And they don’t even pretend to care.
Isn’t just another way to have a national police force. NO where in the memos or any of the question did I hear anyone say How about local police to respond to any act of violence long before any school board needs to have the weight of the federal government brought down on parents. school boards have refused to allow parents to even attend meetings*school boards have had parents thrown out of meetings*school boards put parents names on lists where those parents can’t even come on campus including after hours events such as ballgames. The school boards routinely threaten lawsuits against families that can not afford to gamble on that becoming a reality. All of this to silence parents to silence dissent all to prove they are all powerful they are gods with control of our kids and no oversite. They called you mean names. They said they’re coming for you. How is that a threat of violence–it DOES mean your self appointed lofty position of a nobody is going to be taken from you.. Now this really is “Poke the Bear” which is a mama bear and a daddy bear and stand back when they come after you. If you are afraid you need to resign and hide… Your reign of terror is over.
Absolutely
I wouldn’t mind losing an honest debate. Ok. I’d mind. But not so much.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=beat+farmers+california+kid+video&view=detail&mid=736E69A2FBFDC4F75EF6736E69A2FBFDC4F75EF6&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dbeat%2bfarmers%2bcalifornia%2bkid%2bvideo%26form%3dANNTH1%26refig%3dfdb81ced34ff4a74b412b21f44c2ad9b%26sp%3d1%26qs%3dSC%26pq%3dbeet%2bfarmers%2bcali%26sk%3dPRES1%26sc%3d1-17%26cvid%3dfdb81ced34ff4a74b412b21f44c2ad9b
I see I got to Texas just in time.
Are Garland’s actions not an unconstitutional infringement on Right of Petition? “Press reports “ would not appear to any reasonable basis for a response.
It is the incestuous circle they always do. Leak false reports to the press, then open an investigation based on those prrss reports.
“Garland told Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) the letter did not influence him and his only concern is violence”
What peace looks like is words, especially mockery and complaints. It’s a domestication of violence. It’s the best you can hope for.
It’s also what the “hate speech” crowd get wrong.
The first amendment is about domestication.
The O’s mentor and possible biological father was Frank Marshall Davis, an unreconstructed Stalinist. Is it any wonder we have some ugly people cropping up in the Party dedicated to preserving the O’s poisonous legacy?
News reports. Not police reports. Just news reports.
Garland: Good enough for me!
I wonder if he was a “close” friend of Epstein.
The AG seems to put a lot of stock in news reporting. Maybe someone could show him the video of the riots last year? Perhaps include the well documented antifa foot soldiers of the d/prog and their antics? Maybe get Mr Peabody and the wayback machine to look at the Bush years and code pink?
I wish one of them had asked “Well since you’re basing your actions on news stories, there have been MANY news stories about the 2020 election being stolen by the democrats so have you begun a massive investigation of that? There are also news stories about Omar’s various frauds including IMMIGRATION fraud, MARITAL fraud, STUDENT LOAN fraud, and CAMPAIGN FUNDS fraud. How are you progressing on THOSE news stories based claims?? And let me say I agree 1000% with Senator Cotton – you should resign and beg forgiveness from the good people of the United States for subjecting them to the disgusting disgrace of a person like yourself”!
Garland has admitted there was no evidence other than that was reported in the legacy media. If that was offered in a federal court by anyone employed by DOJ, a strong argument could be made that the same was frivolous and sanctionable
If protesters aren’t crossing state lines, how is this a Federal crime and not a local crime?
Antifa and BLM sure probably had Federal crime elements, as attacking a Federal property would qualify.
Senator Dick Durban received quite a few emails from the baseball shooter. Emails he and his staff have never shared. So he knows about domestic terrorists.
“The calls are coming from inside the house.” Has anyone heard peep from any of the Federales involved with protests of how blatantly inappropriate this is? No. Federal employees must then be giving assent. The DOJ has been, past tense… already happened….against Truth and Justice.
Remember Trump thing….they really hate you, I’m just in the way.
WAR ON PARENTS
Thank you JOE BIDEN and MERRICK GARLAND for shining a light on the Democrat’s TRUE AGENDA. To indoctrinate kids and to SHUT OUT PARENTS. Conservatives have previously written about these concerns – but they were dismissed as simply partisan mutterings. Now GARLAND has – in his own words – confirmed the worst fears. We now know that, YES indeed the Democrats want state control over America’s kids and that Democrats only care about the Teacher’s Unions and the $$ they give the Dem Party. They were sneaky – they tried to hide the TRUE agenda for a long time – but now it is OUT in plain sight.
What politician – in their right mind – tells PARENTS that they cannot have a say in schools they entrust their kids to and their taxes pay for.. The truth is that BIDEN is not in his right mind.
Electing Biden was a mistake that Democrats will regret for a long time. He and the people he brought into his administration to run these agencies have damaged their Party and hurt America. They are incompetent. They are ideologues. The screw up what ever they touch.
At some point, Democrat will realize they have to get this guy out and cut their losses. Regardless, this episode will be remembered for a long time as revealing of the TRUE nature of the Dem Party and it’s WOKE agenda.
What reputation Merrick Garland built over his years on the D.C. Circuit is being burned in the dumpster fire that is his tenure at DOJ.
SELF-INFLICTED WOUND.
Garland has always been an extreme partisan. He was just good at hiding it so that one day he could pass a Senate confirmation. That’s why Obama nominated him. He was like a one-man Soviet sleep cell. A comrade waiting to be activated. How many more like him are out there that we don’t know about ? There is a Fifth Column in this country – people who want to destroy America – just waiting for their chance to do do it and for an empty vessel to use to achieve their goal (an empty vessel – useful idiot – like Biden).
It’s looking like McCarthy was right in the 1950’s. He may have been too extreme – but he was on to something. Now we have at least 3 generations of kids who have been indoctrinated.
They’re all in on it. I recall Eric Holder testifying during his confirmation hearing about how he couldn’t recall much about the Mark Rich case.
I’m going to Slate. Precisely because I never go to Slate.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2013/07/marc-rich-presidential-pardon-how-eric-holder-facilitated-the-most-unjust-presidential-pardon-in-american-history.html
“I don’t recall.” How many times does Hillary Clinton get away with this? Or, Eric Holder. He prosecuted a Swiss company that illegally became a government contractor. Because it was headed by Mark Rich; a fugitive from justice. Holder gave near daily press briefings. A corporation with a fugitive from U.S. justice on its board can not be a government contractor.
But, funny. All of a sudden Eric Holder’s memory grows fuzzy when perhaps the biggest case he ever prosecuted becomes inconvenient.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4628886/eric-holder-testified-pardons-president-bill-clinton-including-marc-rich
How much language can I get away with? Because I can’t escape without violating my own restrictions. Anybody else not puke up that word salad?