Tag: World

  • BENUE: How Abducted Commissioner Mathew Abo Was Released – Governor Alia

    The Benue State Government has explained the circumstances leading to the release of its abducted commissioner, Mathew Abo.

    Abo, Benue State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mathew, was abducted from his Ukum Local Government Area residence on September 24.

    He was confirmed to be released in the early hours of Thursday.

    Several reports said the commissioner paid N60 million to secure his freedom, but the state government has explained how he was released.

    On Thursday, the State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, noted that the commissioner was released due to pressure from the state’s security operatives.

    “We can confirm that the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Matthew Abo, has regained freedom. He has since reunited with his family in Sankera, Ukum Local Government Area, where he was abducted.

    “His release was due to intense pressure on the criminals from the gallant security operatives acting on the directives of Gov. Hyacinth Alia, who had earlier given marching orders to them to ensure Mr Abo’s release,” the statement said.

    The governor further warned criminals operating within the state to leave or incur the wrath of the law while commending security operatives’ efforts to ensure the commissioner’s safe release.

    He tasked them to be ruthless on criminals and ensure they had no room to operate in the state.

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  • Judge Smiles For Camera At Trump Trial After Former President Lashes Out

    From Daily Wire:

    The judge presiding over Donald Trump‘s civil fraud trial in New York City got blasted by the former president’s allies for flashing a smile in front of a camera before the proceeding got underway on Monday. 

    News networks aired scenes from the courtroom showing Trump sitting with his lawyers and, a few rows behind them, New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the $250 million lawsuit over allegations of business fraud against Trump, members of his family, and the Trump Organization. 

    When the camera panned to the front of the room, Judge Arthur Engoron appeared to take notice. He smiled, took off his glasses, and smiled again. Upon looking to the side, the judge shrugged before he returned his gaze to the camera and smiled once more. Trump previously spoke out against the charges ahead of his court appearance, slamming Engoron as a “rogue judge.” 

    “A show trial. Literally,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “We have a serious crisis in our judicial system. So many demons,” said political commentator Julie Kelly. “The judge in Trump’s case smiles for his closeup. What an absolute clown show,” said the X account for the popular Citizen Free Press website

    Read more here…



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  • Pentagon official charged for dogfighting, allegedly killing dogs

    High-ranking Pentagon official Frederick Douglass Moorefield Jr., along with his associate, Mario Damon Flythe, have been charged with facilitating an underground dogfighting ring.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland detailed in an October 2 news release that Moorefield, 62, and Flythe, 49, both from Maryland, have been charged with facilitating the gruesome dogfighting activity. On September 6, FBI agents conducted a search at Moorefield’s residence, leading to the discovery of five caged pit bull-type dogs, weighted collars, chains, and other incriminating evidence.

    The FBI agents also uncovered equipment suspected of being used in the termination of dogs following lost fights. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland’s press release states, “Law enforcement officers seized a device consisting of an electrical plug and jumper cables, which the affidavit alleges is consistent with devices used to execute dogs that lose dogfights.”

    Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman, a Pentagon spokesman, acknowledged the charges Tuesday, stating, “We can confirm that the individual is no longer in the workplace,” while refraining from commenting further and directing all questions to the Justice Department.

    In addition to the investigation of Moorefield’s residence, FBI agents also conducted a search at Flythe’s home on September 6, which resulted in the discovery of seven more pit-bull-type dogs, metal cages, weighted collars, and other evidence.

    Wayne Pacelle, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Animal Wellness Action, addressed the allegations Tuesday, stating, “As ugly and horrific as it is, dogfighting can be found just beneath the surface of civil society with the perpetrators maintaining the veneer of mainstream participation in society.”

    Pacelle gave credit to federal authorities for successfully putting an end to Moorefield and Flythe’s dogfighting operations and for making efforts to prevent other dogfighting operations.

    “The scale of the problem is staggering, and we must respond with even more vigorous efforts to pull up animal fighting at the root,” he said. “No dog should endure the kind of pain and torment that fighting animals endure in the pit and after their handlers decide they are no longer useful to them.”

    READ MORE: Pics: Two hero dogs recognized for supporting US troops

    According to Military.com, the FBI’s investigation also referenced an unsettling incident from November 2018, where two injured dogs were found discarded in a dog food bag near Annapolis. The bag contained mail linked to Moorefield, leading FBI Special Agent Ryan C. Daly to infer Moorefield’s potential involvement in discarding dogs after fights.

    Additionally, the charges accuse Moorefield and Flythe of holding digital conversations about dogfights over encrypted platforms and using aliases in the dogfighting community, with Moorefield as “Geehad Kennels” and Flythe as “Razor Sharp Kennels.”

    Moorefield and Flythe are also accused of having connections with other individuals who have been prosecuted in previous dogfighting cases. If proven guilty, both Moorefield and Flythe could face imprisonment of up to five years.

    This news article was partially created with the assistance of artificial intelligence and edited and fact-checked by a human editor.



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  • Abia Assembly To Intervene On Reinstatement Of Sacked Abia Workers

    Labour-Partys-Emmanuel-Emeruwa-Abia-Speaker-

    Following the protests staged by the disengaged Abia workers employed from January -May 2023 at the Abia State House of Assembly last Tuesday, the Majority Leader of the 8th Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Okoro Uchenna Kalu has said that the House during her plenary considered the appeal and petition of the protesting workers.

    Kalu who disclosed this in his official Facebook page said the Letter of Appeal for Reinstatement by the disengaged workers after its presentation during the Tuesday plenary was committed to the House Committee on Public Complaint for further legislative action.

    Our Correspondent reports that the Chief Whip of the House, Hon. Emeka Obioma who received the Letter of the Appeal after addressing the sacked Abia workers at the House of Assembly complex on behalf of the Speaker, promised to take their message to the House for immediate intervention.

    Recall that the Abia State Government, had last Month disengaged all staff employed between January, 2023 by the immediate past administration of Okezie Ikpeazu.

    The Head of Service, Joy Maduka had in a circular dated 30th August 2023 stated, “Following the ongoing reorganisation in the Abia State Public Service and in line with the provision of the Abia State Public Service Rules nos. 02801 and 02803, I write to inform you that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Abia State has directed the disengagement of all staff employed into the Abia State Public Service from January, 2O23 till date.

    “However, any further directive(s) of His Excellency on this matter shall be communicated in due course. Please take appropriate steps to implement immediately and according to His Excellency’s directive”

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  • Menendez Corruption Case: Will He Beat the Rap Again?

    The government’s September indictment on corruption charges of Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, opened with a bang. Prosecutors displayed sensational photographs of gold bars, a Mercedes Benz, and piles of cash—more than $480,000—found at the home of Menendez and his wife, Nadine.

    Justice may endeavor to be blind, but the prosecution of politicians is inherently political. The Justice Department failed to convict Menendez in a high-profile 2017 corruption case and doubtless is eager to take another shot at him. And while reliably liberal on many issues, Menendez has taken a hard line on Cuba and Iran as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, often thwarting Biden—and earlier Obama administration—initiatives. He’ll have zero support from the White House and Democratic Party establishment as he fights the new charges.

    Menendez and his wife are charged with bribery, honest services fraud, and extortion. Also charged are three businessmen with ties to Egypt. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said the conspirators were engaged in “a corrupt relationship” that included payments by the businessmen to the Menendez couple of “hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes, including cash, gold, a Mercedes Benz, and other things of value—in exchange for Senator Menendez agreeing to use his power and influence to protect and enrich those businessmen and to benefit the Government of Egypt.”

    Corruption concerns have swirled around Menendez for decades. A product of the famously corrupt Hudson County, New Jersey, political machine, Menendez was schooled in the amoral world of Union City Mayor William Musto, who hired him as aide in the 1970s. By the early 1980s, he had turned on Musto and testified at the mayor’s corruption trial. By 1986, in a campaign touting his Cuban roots and “reformer” image, he was elected mayor of Union City. From there he rose through state government and into the halls of Congress.

    Judicial Watch has been ringing alarm bells about Menendez for more than a decade. In 2012, we put him on our list of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” In 2014, we highlighted concerns about Menendez and a “never-ending saga of political corruption and cronyism.”

    In 2017, it looked like the jig was up for Menendez. The Justice Department indicted him and an old friend and benefactor, Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgan, on charges of bribery and honest services fraud. The government charged that the duo conspired to corruptly influence Menendez’s “official acts” and defraud the U.S. of the “honest services of a public official.” Sound familiar?

    In the new case, the government similarly charges that Menendez “agreed to take a series of official acts and breaches of his official duty” in return for bribes from the three Egypt-connected businessmen.

    First, the government charges, Menendez “improperly pressured” an Agriculture Department official about an Egypt-related business directly benefiting the co-defendants.

    Second, Menendez tried to “disrupt” a New Jersey state investigation related to the co-defendants.

    Third, Menendez recommended appointment of a U.S. Attorney that he believed would be more friendly to one of the co-defendants under federal investigation.

    Back in 2017, Judicial Watch took a close look at that first Menendez federal corruption case. We noted that a year earlier, the Supreme Court had significantly narrowed the definition of official acts and honest services fraud in the McDonnell ruling. Prosecutors now needed to prove a direct “official action” connected to an illegal payment. An “official act” must be more than “setting up a meeting, talking to another official, or hosting an event,” the court ruled. We were skeptical that prosecutors in 2017 could meet that standard. It turned out, we were right. Menendez beat the rap.

    Will history repeat itself in the new Menendez prosecution?

    Let’s go back to those gold bars and piles of cash. The meaning of the photos is of course to suggest corrupt intent. How could gold bars and $400,000 in cash stashed at home not be corrupt? That’s a smart media play by the prosecution.

    But Menendez struck back. The cash and the gold? Blame the communists—blame Cuba—an argument that may find sympathetic ears at a jury trial. “For 30 years,” he told the media in a statement that highlighted his hardscrabble Cuban background, “I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba.”

    Weightier perhaps is how Menendez will exploit McDonnell. We’ll have more to say on this as the trial nears, but based on the current indictment, the government could have trouble drawing a quid pro quo that will satisfy a jury. The co-defendants may have provided something (the quid, the cash, the gold) but what did they get in return (the quo)? Given what we currently know about the case, Senator Menendez appears to have been singularly unsuccessful in delivering for his friends.

    ***

    Micah Morrison is chief investigative reporter for Judicial Watch. Tips: mmorrison@judicialwatch.org

    Investigative Bulletin is published by Judicial Watch. Reprints and media inquiries: jfarrell@judicialwatch.org

     

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  • 500 workers laid off by Ford, General Motors

    Ford and General Motors are laying off a combined 500 workers as the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike enters its third week.

    General Motors announced it was laying off 164 workers in Ohio and Indiana, CNN reported. The carmaker blamed the ongoing strike for the job losses.

    “We have said repeatedly that nobody wins in a strike, and this is yet another demonstration of that fact,” GM said in a statement. “We will continue to bargain in good faith with the union to reach an agreement as quickly as possible.”

    The new layoffs come after GM already laid off more than 1,800 workers in Kansas and New York.

    Ford laid off 330 workers in Chicago after the union decided to strike the Chicago Assembly plant.

    “Our production system is highly interconnected, which means the UAW’s targeted strike strategy has knock-on effects for facilities that are not directly targeted for a work stoppage,” Ford said in a statement.

    READ MORE: 800+ workers facing layoffs at major tech company

    Ford previously laid off 600 workers in Michigan who were not on strike in a move the union said was an attempt to “put the squeeze on our members to settle for less.”

    “With their record profits, they don’t have to lay off a single employee,” the union said. “Their plan won’t work. The UAW will make sure any worker laid off in the Big Three’s latest attack will not go without an income.”

    The union is currently paying strikers $500 a week in strike benefits, according to CNN. The roughly 3,000 members who were laid off will also get $500 a week.

    Former President Donald Trump recently warned UAW members that a favorable deal wouldn’t “make a damn bit of difference” because “in two years, you’re all going to be out of business” due to the shift toward electric vehicles.

    “Now they want to go all-electric and put you all out of business. Biden’s mandate isn’t a government regulation; it’s a government assassination of your jobs and of your industry. The auto industry is being assassinated,” Trump insisted.



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  • SENATE: Ministerial Nominee Who Slumped, Two Others Scale Screening Exercise

    Godswill-Akpabio

    The Nigerian Senate has confirmed the appointments of three ministerial nominees by President Bola Tinubu.

    The three confirmed nominees are:

    1. Jamila Bio-Ibrahim (Kwara State).
    2. Balarabe Abbas (Kaduna State).
    3. Ayodele Olawande (Ondo State)

    The confirmation brings the total number of ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet to 48, as the Senate had previously approved 45 out of the 48 ministerial nominations put forth by President Tinubu on August 7.

    THE WHISTLER reported an unexpected incident that occurred during the screening session when Abbas, who was nominated to replace former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, slumped.

    The situation forced the Senate to go into a brief closed-door session.

    Meanwhile, Jamila Bio-Ibrahim, born in 1986 and representing Kwara State, expressed her commitment to serving Nigeria.

    She expressed belief in the potential of Nigerian youths and her desire to contribute to nation-building in Tinubu’s administration because it prioritizes youth empowerment

    Bio-Ibrahim also pledged to create opportunities for the youth to access education, self-development, and entrepreneurship, harnessing their potential talents.

    The Senate spokesperson , Senator Yemi Adaramodu, confirmed that Balarabe Abbas, the nominee who had slumped during the screening, was successfully revived.

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  • N110m Fraud: You Have Case To Answer, Court Tells Lagos Businesswoman, Company

    A Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, presided by Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe, on Wednesday, ordered one Portia Emilia, a businesswoman, to enter her defence in an alleged N110m fraud brought against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

    The order was given to both Emilia and her company, Savanah Crest Investment Limited.

    Both she and her company were re-arraigned on March 16, 2023 on amended five-count charges bordering on conspiracy to steal.

    According to EFCC, this is contrary to Section 411 and punishable under Section 287 (5) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

    In the case of obtaining money and property by false pretences, the Commission noted that it goes contrary to Section 1(1)(2) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Fraud Offences Act 2006.

    Meanwhile, pertaining to theft, EFCC noted that it is contrary to Section 280(1) (12)8(7), 285(1) and 278(1)b) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

    However, in retaining stolen property the defendants’ actions are contrary to Section 328 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

    Emilia pleading for herself and her company had pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges and during the course of the trial, the prosecution counsel, F. Ofoma called two witnesses through whom he tendered several documents.

    On March 16, 2023 the prosecution closed its case and instead of opening their defence, lawyer to the defendants J.J. Amodu, filed a no-case submission, arguing that his clients had nothing to answer in spite of evidence EFCC had submitted.

    Justice Abike-Fadipe while ruling on the no-case submission on Wednesday, held that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the defendants on all the counts, necessitating them to be arraigned for their own sides of the story.

    “I am satisfied that the prosecution has established a prima facie case, which the defendants are called upon to answer.

    “The no-case submission is hereby overruled, and the defendants are called upon to enter their defence.”

    The matter was adjourned to January 18 and 25, 2024 and February 1, 2024.

    Meanwhile one of the charges against Emilia reads: “Portia Anthony Emilia and Savanah Crest Investment Limited, sometime in 2018 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, stole and dishonestly converted to your own the sum of N40,000,000.00 (Forty Million Naira only).”

    Another count reads: “Portia Anthony Emilia and Savanah Crest Investment Limited, sometime in 2018 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, fraudulently obtained the sum of N20,000,000.00 (Twenty Million Naira) from one Wendy Daniel.”

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  • FBI secretly targeting Trump supporters: Report

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has secretly developed a new category of “extremists” that targets Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters of former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential election, according to classified information obtained by Newsweek.

    Newsweek reported that the FBI is currently working to investigate and prevent what the agency considers domestic terrorism without referencing individual political affiliations in the United States. However, the information obtained by Newsweek indicates that an overwhelming majority of the FBI’s current “anti-government” investigations are related to MAGA Republicans.

    “The FBI is in an almost impossible position,” a current FBI official told Newsweek.

    The anonymous official, one of over a dozen current or former government officials specializing in terrorism interviewed by Newsweek, claimed that the FBI is attempting to prevent any domestic terrorism that could lead to an incident like the January 6 Capitol storming.

    At the same time, the FBI official told Newsweek that the bureau could unintentionally provoke anti-government activists if the agency fails to allow Americans to exercise their Constitutional rights of free speech and protest.

    “Especially at a time when the White House is facing Congressional Republican opposition claiming that the Biden administration has ‘weaponized’ the Bureau against the right wing, it has to tread very carefully,” the official stated.

    READ MORE: Trump responds to possible House speaker nomination

    Another anonymous senior intelligence official told Newsweek that the country has “crossed the Rubicon.”

    The official claimed, “Trump’s army constitutes the greatest threat of violence domestically…politically…that’s the reality and the problem set. That’s what the FBI, as a law enforcement agency, has to deal with.”

    In a statement to Newsweek, the FBI said: “The threat posed by domestic violent extremists is persistent, evolving, and deadly. The FBI’s goal is to detect and stop terrorist attacks, and our focus is on potential criminal violations, violence, and threats of violence.”

    The FBI told Newsweek that the threat of “domestic violent extremists” in the United States remains ongoing, is continuing to expand and is “deadly.” The agency noted that its goal is to detect potential “terrorist attacks” and prevent them before they happen by focusing on illegal activity, violence and threats of potential violence.

    “Anti-government or anti-authority violent extremism is one category of domestic terrorism, as well as one of the FBI’s top threat priorities,” the FBI said.

    The FBI also claimed that the agency’s investigations are not based on political affiliations.

    “We are committed to protecting the safety and constitutional rights of all Americans and will never open an investigation based solely on First Amendment protected activity, including a person’s political beliefs or affiliations,” the bureau said.

    While the FBI claimed that its investigations are not political in nature, Newsweek reported that a recent Department of Homeland Security and FBI joint report to Congress highlighted what the agency views as potential threats of domestic terrorism.

    “Sociopolitical developments — such as narratives of fraud in the recent general election, the emboldening impact of the violent breach of the U.S. Capitol, conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and conspiracy theories promoting violence — will almost certainly spur some domestic terrorists to try to engage in violence,” the report stated.

    Newsweek noted that each of the threats listed by federal authorities is closely associated with the MAGA Republicans who support Trump.

    Moreover, the news outlet reported that the FBI released a report titled “Domestic Violent Extremists Emboldened in Aftermath of Capitol Breach, Elevated Domestic Terrorism Threat of Violence Likely Amid Political Transitions and Beyond” in the aftermath of the Capitol riot.

    In the FBI’s report, the agency changed the definition of “anti-government, anti-authority violent extremism” (AGAAVE) from “furtherance of ideological agendas” to “furtherance of political and/or social agendas.”

    As a result of the definition change, Newsweek reported that Americans could be labeled a potential threat as a result of their political affiliation despite assurances by the FBI.

    Additionally, in 2022, the FBI unveiled a new domestic threat subcategory labeled “AGAAVE-Other,” which is used to describe individuals the FBI believes could pose a threat but cannot be classified into militia, Sovereign Citizen or anarchist categories.

    According to Newsweek, the classification defines “AGAAVE-Other” individuals as “domestic violent extremists who cite anti-government or anti-authority motivations for violence or criminal activity not otherwise defined, such as individuals motivated by a desire to commit violence against those with a real or perceived association with a specific political party or faction of a specific political party.”

    When an anonymous FBI officer was asked by Newsweek about the new subcategory, the officer answered, “What other name could we use?”

    The FBI officer defended the agency’s change and claimed that the change was meant to help the agency keep better track of domestic threats in response to Congress pressuring the bureau.

    “Obviously, if Democratic Party supporters resort to violence, it [AGAAVE-Other] would apply to them as well,” the FBI officer said. “It doesn’t matter that there is a low likelihood of that. So yes, in practical terms, it refers to MAGA, though the carefully constructed language is wholly nonpartisan.”



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  • Judicial Watch Files Lawsuit against U.S. Department of Education for Records on Book Bans, Moms for Liberty, and Ron DeSantis

    (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit on behalf the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) against the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for records regarding book bans, the organization Moms for Liberty, and Ron DeSantis (Daily Caller News Foundation v. U.S Department of Education (No. 1:23-cv-02768)).

    The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the Department of Education failed to respond to separate August 8, 2023, requests for:

    • All email records (including attachments, URL links and electronic database links) of Miguel Cardona to or from (President of the National Education Association (NEA)) Rebecca (Becky) Pringle and (President of the American Federation of Teachers) Rhonda “Randi” Weingarten from June 1, 2023, to July 15, 2023, on the ed.gov domain.
      • All communications about book bans or book banning.
      • All communications about Moms for Liberty and/or Ron DeSantis.

    And:

    • All email records (including attachments, URL links and electronic database links) sent and/or received by Miguel Cardona to or from any/all: President of the American Library Association Emily Drabinski, from June 1, 2023, to July 15, 2023, on the ed.gov domain.
      • All communications about book bans or book banning.
      • All communications about Moms for Liberty.

    On July 4, 2023, EducationWeek reported on a speech Cardona gave on July 3 in Orlando, FL, at the NEA’s annual representative assembly. Cardona addressed statements regarding “woke ideology” and “indoctrinating” students made by Republican presidential candidates at the Moms for Liberty National Conference in the days prior to the NEA event:

    Cardona dismissed that type of rhetoric as “divisive drama,” slamming conservative policymakers who have pushed for book bans, restrictions on instruction about racism, limitations on the rights of LGBTQ+ students, and school choice policies that divert public money to private schools.

    Moms for Liberty was founded in 2021 in Florida by two former school board members. The group was initially fought against mask mandates in Florida schools. The group then expanded its mission to support parental rights legislation to give parents more say in their children’s education. The parents group has come under increasing attack by the extremist left.

    “The Biden administration can’t be allowed to hide this information from the American people,” said Daily Caller News Foundation Editor-In-Chief Michael Bastasch. “Citizens have a right to know if their government is plotting against moms or working behind the scenes to keep pornographic books in schools.”

    “This lawsuit aims to uncover the truth about the desperate new effort by the Biden administration and its leftist teachers’ union allies to smear and target parents who oppose sexually explicit and other extremist content being made available to schoolchildren,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

    Separately, Judicial Watch filed suit in June against the U.S. Department of Justice for all FBI communications from bureau officials using several systems and databases regarding investigations carried out after an October 4, 2021, memo from Attorney General Merrick Garland instructing investigators to target American parents due to an alleged “increase in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school board members, teachers and workers in our nation’s public schools”

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