AG Merrick Garland testified today that he “[doesn’t] know the facts” about the LCPS case that was used to justify the DOJ’s memo calling concerned parents “domestic terrorists” for speaking out at public school board meetings.
Which struck a lot of people as strange, seeing as Garland also said that the DOJ began targeting parents for “possible domestic terrorism” as a result of a letter from the National School Board Association. The same letter that explicitly cited Scott Smith’s arrest as evidence that parents are domestic terrorists (but conveniently omitted the fact that Smith was upset because LCPS had covered up his daughter’s alleged rape by a “gender fluid” student).
The National School Board Association letter specifically cited the father of the girl allegedly assaulted as an example of the threats of violence against teachers.
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) October 21, 2021
Letter links to this story: "Smith, 48, of Leesburg, was charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice…sheriff’s office says he physically threatened someone and then 'continued to be disorderly with the deputy' and resisted arrest."https://t.co/0vgE2MTRdc
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) October 21, 2021
Of course, the National School Board Association letter made no mention of why the father was angry (because his daughter was allegedly anally raped in a school bathroom). pic.twitter.com/42xXaogJ3k
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) October 21, 2021
Well, according to a new report by the Washington Free Beacon, the White House knew about the NSBA’s letter in advance … and collaborated with NSBA officials before the letter’s release:
EXCLUSIVE: National School Board Association officials collaborated with the White House in the weeks before the release of the infamous "domestic terrorism" letter.
NSBA board members were upset by the letter, emails show, saying it enflamed tensions https://t.co/eQZ8pCpFWp
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) October 21, 2021
This raises the question of whether the White House colluded with NSBA to publicize this letter, which the White House and DOJ could then use to justify taking federal action
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) October 21, 2021
It certainly does.
More from Chuck Ross:
The emails, obtained by Parents Defending Education through public records requests and reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon, reveal that the National School Board Association’s president and CEO sent the letter to Biden on Sept. 29 without approval from the organization’s board. The letter said that the acts of some parents at school board meetings across the country could be considered “a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.”
The emails also show that the White House asked the association for examples of threats against school board members days before Attorney General Merrick Garland created a task force of officials from the FBI and the Justice Department to determine how to prosecute alleged crimes at school board meetings.
The letter makes clear that the White House was aware of the letter before it was released, while raising questions about whether the White House colluded with the association on the letter to prompt federal action. The letter has sparked allegations that the Biden administration is trying to stifle dissent among parents who oppose mask mandates and the teaching of critical race theory at America’s schools. School board meetings have become battlegrounds for factions of parents torn on those issues. Parents in some districts have organized recall efforts to remove school board members who support mandates or radical curricula.
The emails also show that members of the National School Board Association’s board of directors voiced frustration that officials sent out the letter without their approval.
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) October 21, 2021
Oh my. https://t.co/x0WkSdQFln
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) October 21, 2021
Oh. My. You’ll definitely want to read the whole thing.
🚨🚨🚨
Wonder if anyone will ask about this during the next part of the hearing. @NSBAPublicEd board members did *not* know about the letter, White House staffers knew and were involved in *drafting* it. https://t.co/juc31ZEY60— Erika Sanzi (@esanzi) October 21, 2021
Someone needs to ask Garland/DOJ about this ASAP https://t.co/cISVgRDcm0
— John Hasson (@SonofHas) October 21, 2021
Now.
Just a banner day for federal education policy. https://t.co/HSCnj7deFZ
— Matt Welch (@MattWelch) October 21, 2021
A banner day for the Biden administration.
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