The Justice Department under Attorney General Pam Bondi just took a big step toward surveilling left-wing groups as a counterterrorism operation — and onlookers are alarmed.
This comes after reports in September that a DOJ official wanted a terrorism investigation into George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist and Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor who has backed a number of liberal causes around the world and is a constant subject of right-wing conspiracy theories.
A memo dated Friday from Bondi instructs the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force, or JTTF, to engage in a surveillance program against groups identifying with the so-called “antifa” or anti-fascist movement, known for involvement in left-wing protests around the country.
“The FBI and its JTTF partners must adopt strategies similar to those used to address violent crime and organized crime to disrupt and dismantle entire networks of criminal activity,” stated the memo. Among other instructions, the memo said, “Within 60 days of the issuance of this guidance, the FBI, in coordination with its partners on the JTTFs, shall disseminate an intelligence bulletin on Antifa and Antifa-aligned anarchist violent extremist groups,” including information on their “structure” and “funding.”
This memo triggered outrage among a number of analysts.
“Very concerning: In a new memo dated today, AG Bondi announces that FBI/JTTF will launch NSPM-7-based expansion of state surveillance of left-wing organizations that it characterizes as ‘domestic terrorism,’” wrote Detroit-based immigration attorney Eric Lee.
“This NSPM-7 rollout at DOJ & FBI is terrifying,” wrote Larry Pfeiffer, director of the Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security.
“Given the haphazard way in which the administration classifies groups, this is likely to be a way for the administration to try to neutralize or punish anyone who isn’t in its corner. It’s alarming,” wrote California State University Fullerton philosophy professor Amy Coplan.
“I really don’t see how NYC and NY state law enforcement can be allowed to continue serving on JTTFs and working with federal counterparts when this is what they’re being ordered to do,” wrote Peter Sterne, editor for City & State NY.
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