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Unearthed DOJ emails expose turmoil over Biden-era memo urging crackdown on parents
DOJ officials called Garland memo targeting parents ‘stupid’ and ‘political’
Internal DOJ emails obtained by Fox News reveal officials’ serious concerns about the Merrick Garland memo from 2021. One employee suggested renaming the directive the ‘Anti-MAGA Task Force,’ highlighting its perceived political nature. The memo targeted parents who spoke out at school board meetings regarding COVID-19 rules and critical race theory.
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A controversial memo issued by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2021 aimed at addressing the alleged threat posed to school boards by dissatisfied parents caused an internal revolt at the Justice Department, according to documents obtained by Fox News.
As parents across the nation took to school board meetings to vent their dissatisfaction with COVID-era learning restrictions as well as how race and gender were being taught in classrooms, the National Association for School Boards appealed to the Justice Department for assistance, claiming that some actions taken by angry parents could be classified as «domestic terrorism.»
The Justice Department in October 2021 issued a memo to coordinate a response to what the department described as an «increase in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school board members, teachers and workers in our nation’s public schools» by parents.
Newly released emails, however, indicate that high-ranking officials at the DOJ were skeptical of this move, predicting that it could transform into a political headache for the Biden administration.
MAJOR PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD SIMULATES PARENT ‘TERRORIST’ ATTACK AFTER FATAL ACCIDENT KILLS STUDENT
Attorney General Merrick Garland takes questions during a news conference at the Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C., on May 23, 2024. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to break up Live Nation, alleging the Ticketmaster parent company violated antitrust laws and harmed consumers. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
«I don’t think it’s possible to state how strongly I object to this. It will completely and totally nuke our election threats efforts, and will damage the reputation of the Public Integrity Section into the bargain,» one deputy assistant attorney general wrote on an internal email chain. «It’s like they’ve affirmatively trying to make this thing not work and look political.»
«If they do this, they might as well rename the damn thing the Anti-MAGA Task Force,» they continued.
«Exactly!» the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section chief responded. «Stupid, stupid, stupid.»
Some at the DOJ also questioned whether or not the agency had the authority to address purported threats to school board members in the way that was being proposed.
ANDREW MCCARTHY: BIDEN-HARRIS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TANGLES WITH RED STATES ON ELECTION DAY
US Attorney General Merrick Garland addresses staff on his first day at the US Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 2021. Garland was confirmed by the Senate with a 70-30 vote on March 10. (Kevin Dietsch/AFP)
«We will not do this,» one principal deputy assistant attorney general wrote. «There is no conceivable connection to [public integrity] (indeed, I’m not seeing a federal interest of any kind.). And if they’re going to make the AG’s memo to the field about this and election threats, I’m going to strongly recommend that they not send it.»
The Public Integrity section chief chimed in that the memo could turn the Justice Department and the FBI into the «threat police» and that it contained «no limiting principle at all.»
After sparking a firestorm of criticism from GOP lawmakers, state officials, pundits and parents’ groups, the NSAB formally apologized for its letter to the Biden administration calling for legal scrutiny to apply to disgruntled parents.
CNN HOST RECALLS HOW COVID CAUSED THE ‘RADICALIZATION’ OF PARENTS
Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 12, 2024, praising the department’s staff amid ongoing political accusations. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg)
«On behalf of NSBA, we regret and apologize for the letter,» the organization wrote in a memo to its members. «There was no justification for some of the language included in the letter. We should have had a better process in place to allow for consultation on a communication of this significance. We apologize also for the strain and stress this situation has caused you and your organizations.»
Though Garland was pressed to retract his memo or apologize, he instead opted to defend his decision.
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«The obligation of the Justice Department is to protect the American people against violence and threats of violence and that particularly includes public officials,» he said of the memo.
The DOJ and Garland did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Friday.
Fox News’ David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
attorney general, fbi, controversies education, justice department, parents
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La mayor estafa ganadera de Uruguay dejó un rojo de USD 272 millones: Justicia confirmó cifras de Conexión Ganadera
La Justicia uruguaya confirmó los números finales de la que es considerada la mayor estafa del país: el fondo pecuario Conexión Ganadera tiene un pasivo de USD 387 millones de dólares y un activo de USD 115 millones.
Conexión Ganadera se encargaba de captar el dinero de inversores para comprar ganado y, a cambio, pagaba una renta fija de, al menos, 7% anual. En realidad, el funcionamiento de esta empresa era un esquema Ponzi que quedó en evidencia hace un año y medio, cuando reconoció que no tenía dinero para pagar a sus clientes.
En el ámbito penal, el caso ha tenido tres imputados (los tres socios directores, ya que el cuarto se suicidó antes de que se supiera públicamente la crisis de la empresa). Además de esta investigación penal, hay otro proceso en curso en la justicia concursal, que se encarga de la liquidación de la empresa. En este ámbito está puesta la esperanza de los inversores de cobrar parte del dinero invertido.
Según informó El Observador, el síndico del concurso Alfredo Ciavattone entregó al juez Leonardo Méndez los números que confirman el pasivo del grupo económico. La relación activo/pasivo es del 29,8%, lo que hace altamente probable que muchos de los créditos no sean recuperables.
En un escrito, Ciavattone expresó: “Se considera que los acreedores tienen un crédito en el concurso que es derivado de daños y perjuicios verificados como consecuencia de la malversación de sus fondos. Si bien los inversores que contrataron con la concursada pactaron una renta ganadera o interés remuneratorio fijo, la realidad indica que en ningún caso este llegó a generarse. Muy por el contrario, con los recursos existentes en la masa activa de los concursos, ni siquiera puede restituirse el capital invertido”.
Los acreedores de Conexión Ganadera no vieron su patrimonio incrementado sino todo lo contrario: se redujo “gravemente”. Sin embargo, al momento de verificar los créditos se mantuvo “la ficción de su cómputo” para “considerar el principio de tratamiento igualitario entre acreedores de la misma clase”, señaló Ciavattone.
Si bien en la verificación de créditos se contabilizaron USD 115 millones, este monto tiene el problema de que se trata de sumas en su mayoría irrecuperables. Por ejemplo, los mayores montos son cuentas a cobrar a Hernandarias, la tomadora de ganado de Conexión Ganadera, así como a la herencia de Gustavo Basso, uno de los dos directores que se suicidó antes de que se conociera el rojo de la empresa.
Otra de las cuentas a cobrar es la de Don Coraje, que pertenecía a Daniela Cabral, la viuda de Basso, y era también tomadora de ganado. Otras empresas que le deben a Conexión Ganadera están siendo investigadas por el fiscal de Lavado de Activos Enrique Rodríguez.
Los dueños de Conexión Ganadera eran dos personas conocidas en Uruguay, que generaban confianza. Pablo Carrasco, uno de ellos, tenía un alto perfil mediático y solía generar polémica por sus opiniones en la radio. Basso, el otro, era un empresario respetado que colaboraba de forma activa con la comunidad católica de Florida, la ciudad a 100 kilómetros de Montevideo en la que vivía.
La muerte de Basso, el 28 de noviembre de 2024, había generado conmoción. El empresario murió en un accidente de tránsito en su Tesla. En un principio, su siniestro parecía uno más de esos que se cobran decenas de vidas en el país.
Carrasco y su esposa, Ana Iewdiukow, fueron a la cárcel de forma preventiva al ser imputados por estafa y lavado de activos. Lo mismo sucedió con la esposa de Basso, Daniela Cabral, pero en su caso la imputación fue solo por estafa y ahora cumple prisión domiciliaria en un lujoso apartamento en Punta del Este.
El fiscal Enrique Rodríguez señaló tiempo atrás en una audiencia judicial que por la deuda que tiene Conexión Ganadera hace que sean “prácticamente impagables” los créditos que los inversores tienen a su favor.
Corporate Events,Crime,South America / Central America,MONTEVIDEO
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The director of the country’s premier American history museum said she has no regrets about any of the museum’s exhibits under her tenure after an expert confronted her with a «shocking» display that he said smeared founding father Benjamin Franklin.
Smithsonian National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig faced intense questioning from lawmakers during two Capitol Hill hearings this week. The hearings followed a White House Domestic Policy Council report accusing the museum of using taxpayer dollars and its status as a world-renowned institution to advance a «radical activist ideology.»
During a House hearing on Tuesday, Heritage Foundation expert Mike Gonzalez testified that a multiyear special exhibit titled «The Electric Dr. Franklin» included a display that «pondered whether he had ever done experiments, electrical electroshock on indentured servants or slaves.» Gonzalez testified that the display included this suggestion «without producing any evidence whatsoever,» which he called «shocking.»
«Why smear a founding father such as Ben Franklin by pondering such a really bizarre thing,» asked Gonzalez.
WATCH: SMITHSONIAN DIRECTOR PRESSED ON WOKE EXHIBITS: ‘IS MICKEY MOUSE RACIST?’
Smithsonian National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig (right) was questioned by House lawmakers on controversies involving the museum, including one exhibit that an expert said amounted to a «smear» against founding father Benjamin Franklin. (GraphicaArtis/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Immediately after Gonzalez’s testimony, Rep. Brian Jack, R-Ga., confronted Hartig, saying, «We’ve heard a lot of concerning examples as just referenced. Do you have any regrets in your tenure thus far [about] some of the exhibits have been displayed? Do you regret any of the exhibits and if so, which?»
Hartig answered, «I am incredibly proud of the work we’ve done, but we are imperfect and we surely have made mistakes. But I don’t have any regrets.»
Jack pressed further, asking, «Which mistakes would you say you’ve made?»
To which Hartig responded, «There are always factual errors.»
«One of my favorite, currently,» she went on, «is that one of our volunteers has pointed out that we’ve been mislabeling a coin in the American Presidency exhibit for years, and we were, of course, you know, slightly embarrassed about that, but we fixed it.»
Hartig became director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in February 2019. The Benjamin Franklin exhibit opened to the public in 2021 and remained on display through 2025.
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National Museum of American History Director Dr. Anthea Hartig is sworn in during an Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency hearing on Capitol Hill on July 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The museum currently has a webpage containing expanded material from the exhibit. The site states that «researchers also used people as conductors to determine how far an electrical charge might travel, and if electrical effects would fade with distance. Franklin wrote about experiments in which he took shocks and used family and friends in these ways, although he seldom identified who in particular assisted him. Indentured servants and enslaved people in his household could also have been used, although we may never know for certain.»
A sweeping new White House report concluded that the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History has become a taxpayer-backed institution of «ideological capture» and «extreme political activism.»
According to the 162-page «Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History» report, delivered on America’s 250th birthday, NMAH treats the American story as a political tool rather than a shared national inheritance.
The White House Domestic Policy Council wrote that the «Smithsonian Institution, and the National Museum of American History in particular, under its current leadership and current interpretive ideology, cannot be trusted to tell America’s story honestly and in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.»
Further, the report said that «by the intention and at the direction of current Museum and Smithsonian leadership, NMAH has become subject to institutional capture by a radical, activist ideology that is fundamentally opposed to telling the noble, honest story of the great country we know and love.»
WATCH: SMITHSONIAN HISTORY MUSEUM DIRECTOR STUMBLES OVER BASIC QUESTIONS ON SEX: ‘I’M NOT SURE’
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is being called out for being ‘ideologically captured’ and presenting woke revisionist history on the weekend of America’s 250th birthday. (Kevin Carter)
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During her testimony Tuesday, Hartig said that «the Smithsonian takes the concerns raised in the White House Domestic Policy Counsel’s report seriously, and as we continue to fact check the report, we unwaveringly attest that it does not fairly or accurately characterize the full body of work at the museum.»
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She added that «there is always room for improvement, but I also know the beauty and the inspiration and the expertise that lies in our collections, our exhibits, and our programing.»
Fox News Digital reached out to the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of American History, and Gonzalez for additional comment.
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