DOJ Sought Federal Justification to Monitor Parents

Internal emails and documents obtained by America First Legal show that the Biden administration's Department of Justice sought a 'federal hook' to justify intervention against parents protesting school board policies, focusing on issues like COVID-19 mandates and critical race theory. The correspondence reveals DOJ officials acted at the urging of the White House and quickly prepared a memo from then-Attorney General Merrick Garland to mobilize federal authorities, despite warnings from career DOJ attorneys that most conduct was protected by the First Amendment. The NSBA's letter, which likened some parents to 'domestic terrorists,' was later retracted, yet the DOJ moved forward with FBI involvement in monitoring school board meetings. Critics claim these actions were politically motivated to chill dissent and influence elections. The releases have fueled debate over politicization of the DOJ. DOJ leadership has not publicly addressed concerns regarding internal disagreement or the political context of their actions.