Kiley Calls on Attorney General Merrick Garland to Withdraw Directive Targeting Parents

Today, Representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding he withdraw his infamous memo mobilizing federal law enforcement and counter-terrorism resources against American parents. At the Judiciary Committee’s July 12 oversight hearing, FBI Director Christoher Wray confirmed the memo was based on a fabricated premise. 

In response to Rep. Kiley’s questions, the FBI Director confirmed there was no evidence of a “disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence,” as Attorney General Garland had claimed in the memo. Director Wray did not dispute the finding of the House Judiciary Committee that “the Justice Department’s own documents demonstrate that there was no compelling nationwide law enforcement justification for the Attorney General’s Directive.” 

The National School Boards Association has withdrawn its own letter characterizing parents expressing their views at school board meetings as a form of domestic terrorism, which Attorney General Garland has admitted was the sole predicate for his memo. 

“The Attorney General’s targeting of parents exercising their First Amendment rights is an unprecedented abuse of power, and it is now clear beyond doubt that it was entirely without justification,” Rep. Kiley said. “It is well past time for the Attorney General to withdraw the memo and for the Administration to apologize to American parents.” 

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