FBI responds, says it ‘cannot designate domestic terror organizations’
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) revealed Wednesday he received information from an FBI whistleblower accusing the bureau of labeling a veteran-led group and others as domestic terrorist organizations after they were found not to be a threat.
In a letter (pdf) to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Jordan wrote that a whistleblower said the FBI labeled American Contingency as a “domestic violent extremis[t]” organization despite the bureau clearing it in 2020.
The “domestic violent extremism” designation against American Contingency “is striking in light of new whistleblower disclosures that show that the FBI had concluded as recently as 2020 that the group was not a threat,” Jordan wrote.
“A background investigation and review of Glover’s social media failed to support the allegation that Glover is a threat to the United States or its citizens,” the letter continued.
The FBI, in a statement to The Epoch Times, disputed Jordan’s letter by saying the bureau “does not and cannot designate domestic terrorist organizations. The FBI can never open an investigation based solely on protected First Amendment activity.”
“We cannot and do not investigate ideology. We focus on individuals who commit or intend to commit violence and criminal activity that constitutes a federal crime or poses a threat to national security. The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution. One does not come at the expense of the other,” the FBI statement said.
Other Details
On its website, American Contingency says it is an organization that is meant to provide assistance during natural disasters and similar situations. It also says Glover is a former U.S. Army Green Beret.
“Mike Glover is a veteran doing good work out there, but some woke analyst at the FBI says, ‘We’re going to investigate this guy,’” Jordan told Fox News on Wednesday, adding that if “you display the flag, you own a gun, and you voted for Trump, you’re somehow in that category that Joe Biden says are extremist or fascist.”
