FBI Director Christopher Wray warned in an interview this week that the United States is facing an unprecedented threat environment across the board.
Wray made the remarks during a wide reaching interview with NBC News that aired on Tuesday in which he urged Americans who use TikTok to quit using the app and made remarks about the anti-Semitic protests across college campuses.
Wray told NBC News&#8217; Lester Holt: &#8220;As I look back over my career in law enforcement, I&#8217;m hard pressed to come up with a time where I&#8217;ve seen so many different threats all elevated all at the same time, whether it&#8217;s the threats from China, Russia, Iran, the terrorism threats, both foreign terrorist threats and domestic terrorist threats.&#8221;
&#8220;So we thought that even before October 7, if you and I were having this conversation then, we would have said that the terrorism threat was already elevated,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But post October 7, it&#8217;s gone to a whole other level.&#8221;
When asked about the protests that have erupted on college campuses across the U.S. in recent days, Wray said that the FBI has seen a &#8220;significant increase, especially in anti-Semitic threats and anti-Semitic violence.&#8221;
He said that the FBI typically does not get involved in the protests.
&#8220;We don&#8217;t monitor protests,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But we do share intelligence about specific threats of violence.&#8221;
Wray later warned Americans about using TikTok, the popular social media app that is controlled by China&#8217;s communist government.
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&#8220;Congress is on the verge of passing legislation that would essentially ban TikTok if it&#8217;s not sold,&#8221; Holt noted. &#8220;You&#8217;ve talked about this, many in the government have talked about the threat of TikTok, can you be specific about what your fear is?&#8221;
&#8220;TikTok, for us, represents a national security concern,&#8221; Wray responded. &#8220;And the reason I say that is that TikTok&#8217;s parent company is beholden to the Chinese government. So that for us manifests itself in three specific ways: it has to do with the data, it has to do with the recommendation algorithm, it has to deal with the software. The data, that we&#8217;re talking about the ability to control or collect data on millions and millions of users and to use it for all sorts of influence operations, like driving their AI efforts, which are not remotely constrained by the rule of law.&#8221;
&#8220;Are they doing that now or that&#8217;s simply, they have the capability to do that?&#8221; Holt asked.
&#8220;What I would say to you is that they are currently attempting to steal our AI and hack American technology every day,&#8221; Wray said. &#8220;My message is you need to take into account who the Chinese government is, who the Chinese Communist Party is, even if for some reason, you don&#8217;t care about that, which I would argue you should,&#8221; he said. &#8220;What about all of your friends, family members, classmates, co-workers, neighbors, etc, who are also participating and are connected to you through all those same things? Maybe they would care about the ability of the Chinese government and the Chinese intelligence services to access all that.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The FBI Director says he sees those in prison or facing trial in January 6 cases not as hostages as President Trump has said, but “criminal defendants”.
Lester Holt talks to Christopher Wray about that and more. <a href="https://t.co/UPvMaU2PEO">pic.twitter.com/UPvMaU2PEO</a>
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNightlyNews/status/1782913072660701451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Worldwide Threats

FBI Director Wray Raises Alarm About Terror Threat; Warns About TikTok; Raises Eyebrows On Protest Remarks

Christopher Wray

Lester Holt

Media

U.S.

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> has opened a criminal investigation into the ship crash that caused a deadly bridge collapse in Baltimore last month, according to multiple reports on Monday.
Sources <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/04/15/balitmore-key-bridge-criminal-investigation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Washington Post</a> the federal inquiry is reviewing events leading up to the collision, including whether the crew left port knowing the transport had problems with its systems.
The vessel&#8217;s owner, operators, and attorneys did not immediately respond to the news outlet&#8217;s request for comment.
Federal agents appeared to be on the ship conducting a search on Monday morning. The bureau acknowledged in a statement that agents were on the Dali performing &#8220;court authorized law enforcement activity.&#8221;
Erek Barron, the U.S. attorney for Maryland, said the &#8220;public should know, whether it’s gun violence, civil rights abuse, financial fraud, or any other threat to public safety or property, we will seek accountability for anyone who may be responsible.&#8221;
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott separately <a href="https://mayor.baltimorecity.gov/news/press-releases/2024-04-15-mayor-scott-announces-legal-steps-taken-city-baltimore-response-key" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> his city is &#8220;seeking recourse from those who may potentially be responsible, and with the ship’s owner filing a petition to limit its liability mere days after the incident, we need to act equally as quickly to protect the City’s interests.&#8221;
A Singapore-flagged container ship named Dali lost power and rammed into a support beam of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing a large section of the structure to break apart <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/francis-scott-key-bridge-collapse-timeline-911-call-dali-cargo-ship-mayday-maps-construction-worker-recovery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at around 1:30 a.m.</a> on March 26.
ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/fbi-opens-criminal-investigation-francis-scott-key-bridge/story?id=109235433" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that no one on the cargo ship was injured in the crash, but some containers fell into the channel.
Authorities have said <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/27/us/baltimore-key-bridge-collapse-victims/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">six people</a>, identified as construction workers who were filling potholes, were presumed dead after the bridge crumbled into the Patapsco River. Three bodies have <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/us/politics/body-victim-bridge-collapse-found.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">been recovered</a>.
The National Transportation Safety Board, tasked with determining the probable causes of transportation accidents and issuing safety recommendations, is also investigating the collapse.
The agency&#8217;s chairwoman, Jennifer Homendy, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-investigators-interview-ship-personnel-maryland-bridge-collapse-2024-04-10/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at a Senate hearing last week that investigators had interviewed personnel from the ship and were collecting data, per Reuters.
Cleanup crews have been <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRoS0zpuZK8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">working</a> to clear the wreckage.
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers <a href="https://www.army.mil/article/275139/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in early April that the Baltimore shipping channel was expected to partially reopen by the end of the month and fully reopen by the end of May.
President Joe Biden <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-visit-baltimore-bridge-collapse-politics-b4388845fc912f0a0b491d05b5ac5cf8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visited</a> Baltimore on April 5 to survey the bridge collapse site and pledged federal support for reconstructing the bridge, saying, &#8220;Your nation has your back.&#8221;

Girders of the Francis Scott Key Bridge stick out of the water

FBI Opens Criminal Probe Into Baltimore Bridge Collapse: Reports

Baltimore

General

Maryland

Transportation

Federal law enforcement officials are concerned that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/terrorism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">terrorists</a> could launch a coordinated attack in the U.S. that is similar to the ISIS-K terrorist attack that was carried out in Russia last month.
Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi-concerned-about-possible-coordinated-attack-us-after-russia-massacre-2024-04-11/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that FBI Director Christopher Wray was set to relay this warning to the House of Representatives during a hearing on Thursday.
“Looking back over my career in law enforcement, I’d be hard-pressed to think of a time where so many threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once,” Christopher Wray says in prepared remarks. “But that is the case as I sit here today.”
Several ISIS-K terrorists stormed a concert hall in Moscow late last month and opened fire with automatic while simultaneously setting the sold out venue on fire, killing more than 140 people.
Wray will say that an increasing threat in the U.S. &#8220;is the potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, akin to the ISIS-K attack we saw at the Russia Concert Hall a couple weeks ago.&#8221;
He is expected to push House lawmakers to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which is a critical U.S. surveillance program that is used to monitor foreign threats to the U.S.
The program, which is set to expire next month unless it is renewed, has faced scrutiny in recent years after it was abused by some federal law enforcement officials.
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However, officials have tightened up the way that the system can be accessed to cut down on instances of abuse, including forcing agents to &#8220;type a specific justification for every search, receive annual training and get approval from an attorney before any &#8216;batch job&#8217; that will run more than 100 names against the system,&#8221; The Washington Post&#8217;s Editorial Board <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/04/09/fisa-section-702-warrant-congress/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzEyODA4MDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzE0MTkwMzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3MTI4MDgwMDAsImp0aSI6IjdhZjY4NDM4LWZiZjctNDVkOC1iZDFiLTk5NTEyNzViYTE5MyIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9vcGluaW9ucy8yMDI0LzA0LzA5L2Zpc2Etc2VjdGlvbi03MDItd2FycmFudC1jb25ncmVzcy8ifQ.VBU0wozcHc1XpBUewwa4jHzyJhie-sVCzLEC19GzzTg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> this week.
&#8220;The Justice Department says these changes led to a 98 percent drop in the number of U.S. person queries of the 702 database, from 2.9 million in 2021 to 119,383 in 2022 and 57,094 in 2023,&#8221; the article added. &#8220;Audits have shown virtually all of them complied with the rules. The FBI has also established escalating consequences for misusing the system, from taking away access to criminal referrals.&#8221;

Colombian Police Capture 52 Allegedly Involved In Drug Trafficking Financing

FBI Concerned About Coordinated Terror Attack In U.S. Similar To Moscow Concert Hall Attack

Border Crisis

ISIS-K

Terrorism

FBI Director Christopher Wray <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fbi-director-concerned-lone-wolf-small-groups-draw/story?id=109109335">called</a> for the restoration of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which permits the federal government to gather communications from non-Americans overseas on U.S.-based platforms, but which has also been abused in the past to monitor American citizens.
The much-scrutinized law is up for renewal but failed to pass a key hurdle Wednesday amid internal debate among Republicans about adding adequate protections against future abuse of the law.
Wray, speaking to Congress, cited his “immediate concern” being “individuals or small groups [who] will draw twisted inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks here at home.&#8221;
&#8220;But now increasingly concerning is the potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, akin to the ISIS-K attack we saw at the Russia Concert Hall a couple weeks ago,&#8221; Wray added.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has <a href="https://www.intel.gov/assets/documents/702%20Documents/FISA_Section_702_Fact_Sheet_JUN2023.pdf">pointed out</a> how FISA has been used successfully to combat dangers to the U.S.:
<blockquote>
Section 702-acquired information revealed: Insights that have informed the U.S. Government’s understanding of the Chinese origins of a chemical used to synthesize fentanyl; foreign actors’ illicit plans to smuggle methamphetamine across the U.S. border; the quantities and potency of drugs, including fentanyl, destined for illegal transfer to the United States, as well as specific smuggling techniques used to avoid detection; and a foreign narcotics trafficker’s purchase of a vast quantity of pills for transfer to the United States. Section 702-acquired information has been used to identify multiple foreign ransomware attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure. This intelligence positioned the U.S. Government to respond to and mitigate these events, and in some instances prevent significant attacks on U.S. networks.
Section 702-acquired information related to sanctioned foreign adversaries was used in U.S. Government efforts to stop weapons of mass destruction components from reaching foreign actors. Section 702 has identified threats to U.S. troops and disrupted planned terrorist attacks at home and abroad, and contributed to the successful operation against Ayman al-Zawahiri in 2022.
</blockquote>
Though information gained from Section 702 has played a key role in national security efforts, it has also come under heavy fire from those concerned about its potential use to gather information on American citizens. The most notorious incident involved then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016 when intelligence gained from Section 702 was used to spy on Trump campaign aide Carter Page.
Trump encouraged House Republicans this week to oppose reinstating FISA. “KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME AND MANY OTHERS. THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN!!!” he wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon.
Nineteen House Republicans blocked the procedural measure to bring the matter to a vote on Wednesday. Critics of the bill said the revisions spearheaded by Republicans were not enough to ensure that the law isn&#8217;t abused going forward.
House Speaker Mike Johnson <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-republicans-are-chaos-fighting-key-surveillance-tool-rcna147175">said</a> after the vote Wednesday, “We will regroup and reformulate another plan. We cannot allow Section 702 of FISA to expire. It&#8217;s too important to national security.”
“We have to strike the balance government always does. You have to &#8230; jealously guard the fundamental liberty of American people,” Johnson added. “You protect the liberty, but at the same time, you got to protect your security. And we can’t allow a critical tool like this to just expire and go out of use.”
 9/11 Families United, an organization representing the families of 9/11 victims, <a href="https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/911-Families-Support-for-702-Reauthorization.pdf">stated</a>, “It is our belief that the failure to renew Section 702 would be detrimental to American national security and would put Americans at risk of new terrorist attacks.”

House Intelligence Committee Hears Testimony On The 2024 Annual Threat Assessment

Wray Calls For Restoration Of Section 702 of FISA: ‘Potential For A Coordinated Attack’ In U.S.

Donald Trump

FISA

A teenager in Idaho was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/idaho-man-arrested-attempting-provide-material-support-isis">arrested over the weekend</a> for allegedly planning to carry out a terrorist attack on Christian churches on behalf of ISIS.
Federal law enforcement officials arrested Alexander Scott Mercurio, 18, on Saturday after he pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned to attack Christian churches on April 7 using &#8220;flame-covered weapons, explosives, knives, a machete, a pipe, and ultimately firearms,&#8221; court documents say.
The FBI stumbled upon Mercurio in 2021 while conducting a criminal investigation into a fundraising network that uses cryptocurrency to fund Islamic terrorist groups.
In 2023, investigators found on his school-issued laptop numerous pieces of evidence that showed he was serious about his commitment to ISIS as well as his interest in &#8220;socialism&#8221; and &#8220;communism,&#8221; court documents say.
He told a confidential FBI informant that in his video pledging allegiance to ISIS, he would state that it was important to &#8220;respond to the call to the caliphate by killing Jews and Christians.&#8221;
He indicated that he planned to &#8220;walk to the church, pull out the pipe to light it on fire on one end, hit people in the elbows and kneecaps, force them to the ground, slit their throats with a knife or machete, start small fires, use gas cans to throw at the small fires to cause an explosion and when the police respond he will hide in a corner and attempt to grab the gun of an officer to use,&#8221; court documents said, <a href="https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/crime/article287515725.html">according</a> to the Idaho Statesmen.
He allegedly believed that by murdering Christians, he was performing &#8220;a good deed.&#8221;
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“As alleged in the complaint, the defendant swore an oath of loyalty to ISIS and planned to wage an attack in its name on churches in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/idaho-man-arrested-attempting-provide-material-support-isis">said</a> Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Thanks to the investigative efforts of the FBI, the defendant was taken into custody before he could act, and he is now charged with attempting to support ISIS’s mission of terror and violence. The Justice Department will continue to relentlessly pursue, disrupt, and hold accountable those who would commit acts of terrorism against the people and interests of the United States.”
“The defendant allegedly pledged loyalty to ISIS and sought to attack people attending churches in Idaho, a truly horrific plan which was detected and thwarted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “This investigation demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to stop those who wish to commit acts of violence on behalf of – or inspired by – foreign terrorist groups.”

ISIS

Idaho Teen Arrested For Allegedly Planning Attacks On Christian Churches On Behalf Of ISIS

Christian

Churches

Idaho

A 35-year-old man has been charged with attempting to shoot up a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/virginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virginia</a> church after he allegedly posted threatening messages about the church online and showed up to the church on Sunday with a semi-automatic handgun and two loaded magazines.
Rui Jiang was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/virginia-man-charged-attempted-church-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> by the Department of Justice on Thursday with attempted obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs, use and carry of a firearm during a crime of violence, and making threats. Jiang was arrested on September 24, 2023, outside of the Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Virginia, allegedly carrying a handgun and two loaded magazines after a member of the church had alerted authorities about concerning social media posts threatening violence he had reportedly made.
Police searched Jiang’s apartment and say they found five copies of a letter indicating that men in the church would be targeted in the shooting. “To the families of those men about to be slain – I am sorry for what I have done and about to do. May your tears not be cried in vain, but to celebrate how your loved ones had lived,” the letter said.
The letter indicated that Jiang was angry about not being able to get into a romantic relationship. He <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edva/pr/falls-church-man-charged-online-posts-threatening-haymarket-church" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was</a> previously charged in February over the alleged threats.
An <a href="https://i.ntd.com/assets/uploads/2024/03/id982809-Jiang-previous-indictment.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affidavit</a> in support of his arrest from an FBI agent who investigated the case included several of the social media posts that raised concerns and illustrated anger toward God and the church. The FBI spoke with police who had been alerted about the troubling social media posts.
“The officer observed multiple pictures posted to the account, including one burning a Bible in a frying pan on top of a stove, one with a Bible placed on the bathroom floor, and threatening messages against a church and the government,” the FBI agent wrote in her affidavit. “There were also pictures of a silhouette target with bullet holes in it with the hashtag ‘Fk God,’ as well as pictures from inside a white vehicle parked in a church parking lot at night.”
One post read: “Welcome to Park Valley church, attended by many top secret gov clearance holders in the area. From this day forward, you will know that this is how you will repaid me. Blood will be on your hands.”
The post with the picture of the Bible on the bathroom floor tagged Park Valley Church and was captioned, “Put the Bible on the floor next to the bathroom. Now everytime I take a piss, I have to step on it. #fk God.”
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According to the affidavit, Jiang denied that he had showed up to the church on Sunday to carry out an attack during an interview with police.
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&#8220;JIANG denied going to Park Valley Church to harm anyone or himself,&#8221; the affidavit said. &#8220;He admitted that he could see how someone could view his Instagram posts and emails coupled with him showing up to the church armed with a gun as &#8216;scary,&#8217; but believed it to be a misunderstanding.&#8221;
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</div>
</div>
Jiang could face life in prison if convicted. The FBI and the Prince William County, Virginia, and Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Departments were all involved in investigating the case.

intersection of religion & politics: rear view of rows of wooden pews with religious liturgy books stored in pew racks in church

Man Arrested With Handgun Outside Of Church Charged With Attempted Church Shooting

Christianity

Church

Crime

Department of Justice

Police

Virginia

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marco-rubio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marco Rubio</a> (R-FL) said over the weekend that FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed to him that a trafficking network exists that smuggles illegal aliens into the U.S. who have ties to ISIS.
Rubio made the remarks during a Sunday interview on ABC News&#8217; &#8220;This Week&#8221; while discussing ISIS-K&#8217;s devastating terrorist attack in Moscow late last week, which killed well over a hundred people.
&#8220;ISIS-K, ISIS-Khorasan, is largely the Afghan-wing of ISIS,&#8221; Rubio said. &#8220;It&#8217;s reconstituted itself as we warned would happen when we had this disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. One of the reasons why we didn&#8217;t want to withdraw precipitously is because you gave them operating space to reorganize themselves and plan externally. And since that time, they&#8217;ve attacked inside of Afghanistan.&#8221;
Rubio noted that ISIS-K was responsible for the deadly suicide blast that left 13 American service members dead at Kabul International Airport back in 2021 during President Joe Biden&#8217;s disastrous withdraw from the country.
They also recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-secretly-warned-iran-that-isis-was-plotting-terror-attack-iran-didnt-listen-and-dozens-were-murdered-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conducted</a> a major attack in Iran that resulted in more than 80 deaths.
&#8220;And they&#8217;ll do it here in the homeland,&#8221; Rubio said. &#8220;I think we should be very concerned as the FBI director confirmed to me that there is a wing – there is a trafficking network out there that specializes in moving people. They do it for profit, moving people and migrants around the world, including across our southern border, who have links to ISIS.&#8221;
&#8220;I think common sense tells you, if they run a trafficking network of people, they would most certainly use it to move operatives into the United States,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;So, I&#8217;m not claiming there’s an imminent threat to the U.S., but I am saying that border situation and that existence of that network is a threat to the United States. If they could do what they did in Moscow in the United States, they would do it in a heartbeat. They want to do it.&#8221;
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Rubio noted that under former President Donald Trump, &#8220;ISIS was basically out of business,&#8221; but now, under a weak Biden administration, &#8220;they&#8217;ve reconstituted themselves.&#8221;
&#8220;And part of it is, once we leave Afghanistan and we&#8217;re no longer there to conduct regular strikes, they can now operate openly. No matter how much the Taliban wants to take them on, they can&#8217;t. They don&#8217;t have the capability to do it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And these guys have found a place to operate from. They need real estate. They need land and places where they can organize and do external plotting.&#8221;
&#8220;Now, it’s a lot easier for them to get into Iran. It’s a lot easier for them to get into Russia and do these things,&#8221; he added. &#8220;But their aspirations go beyond Russia and Iran. They would love to do what they did in Moscow here inside the United States. And it&#8217;s something we have to be very vigilant about when we have a border in which 9 million people have come across in the last three years.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
After ISIS-K claims responsibility for terror attack in Russia, Sen. Marco Rubio tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> that the U.S. needs to remain &quot;very vigilant&quot; about border security.
“They would love to do what they did in Moscow here inside the United States.” <a href="https://t.co/kVytjz9qLw">https://t.co/kVytjz9qLw</a> <a href="https://t.co/fMvGLKR4yY">pic.twitter.com/fMvGLKR4yY</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1771894991377363238?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Senate Lacks Votes to Advance Border Deal, Ukraine Aid Package

Rubio: FBI Director ‘Confirmed To Me’ A Trafficking Network Exists That Smuggles ISIS-Linked People Into U.S.

Marco Rubio

Nearly a year after a trans-identifying woman entered a Nashville Christian school and murdered three adults and three children, a federal judge in Tennessee has ordered the FBI to release the shooter&#8217;s manifesto, which has been kept from the public since authorities recovered writings from her car and home.
Shortly after authorities said they recovered the shooter&#8217;s diary and manifesto, the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-police-deny-daily-wires-request-for-trans-shooters-manifesto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied requests from The Daily Wire</a> and others for a copy of the writings, replying, “The investigation is still an open case. … Once the case is closed, please re-request at a later date.” Conservative newspaper The Tennessee Star then sued the MNPD and the FBI after its public records requests under the Freedom of Information Act were denied.
The FBI attempted to get the Star&#8217;s complaint dismissed, but Judge Aleta Trauger of the Middle District of Tennessee said late last week that there is &#8220;significant public interest&#8221; in the &#8220;materials&#8221; and &#8220;law enforcement objectives&#8221; in the case, and the bureau did not support its position &#8220;with sufficient clarity or detail,&#8221; Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/judge-orders-fbi-hand-over-trans-school-shooter-audrey-hale-manifesto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;The FBI is ORDERED to produce ex parte all documents that are potentially responsive to the defendants’ Freedom of Information Act request for in camera review, with the exception that, based on the plaintiffs’ concessions in this litigation, the FBI need not produce any documents that could not reasonably be construed to bear on (the shooter&#8217;s) motives,&#8221; the judge wrote.
The 28-year-old shooter, a woman who identified as a man in the months leading up to the shooting, entered The Covenant School on March 27, 2023, gunning down three adults, including the head of the school, and three 9-year-old children in what authorities described as a “targeted attack.” Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age 9; Cynthia Peak, age 61; Katherine Koonce, age 60; and Mike Hill, age 61, were killed before MNPD officers took out the shooter.
Local authorities, along with the FBI, searched the home of the female shooter shortly after the killings, where they found “a manifesto” along with maps of the school drawn in detail that included points of entry. After the search, MNPD Chief John Drake said authorities have a theory on the shooter’s motive, but they were not ready to share it. Nearly a year later, neither the MNPD nor the FBI has provided any more information on a motive.
A Nashville judge has also allowed parents of The Covenant School students to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/group-of-covenant-school-parents-moves-to-keep-records-secret" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intervene</a> in the open records requests. The parents say that releasing the manifesto would only cause more trauma for the victims and their families.
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In November, conservative podcaster Steven Crowder <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-shooter-decried-crackers-and-white-privilege-leaked-manifesto-pages-reveal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obtained and revealed</a> three pages of the shooter&#8217;s writings, which show the shooter decried &#8220;white privilege.&#8221;
“Kill those kids!!! Those crackers going to private fancy schools with those fancy khakis + sports backpacks w/ their daddies mustangs + convertables [sic],” the 28-year-old female shooter wrote in a diary entry dated February 3.
“I wish to shoot you weakass d—ks w/ your mop yellow hair, wanna kill all you little crackers! Bunch of little f—gots w/ your white privileges,” she wrote.
<div class="image-ct inline">
<div class="m"><picture><source srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/03/343/192/954b2e01-Covenant-School-Nashville-Shooting_001.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/03/686/384/954b2e01-Covenant-School-Nashville-Shooting_001.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x" media="(max-width: 767px)" /><source srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/03/672/378/954b2e01-Covenant-School-Nashville-Shooting_001.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/03/1344/756/954b2e01-Covenant-School-Nashville-Shooting_001.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x" media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" /><source srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/03/931/523/954b2e01-Covenant-School-Nashville-Shooting_001.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/03/1862/1046/954b2e01-Covenant-School-Nashville-Shooting_001.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x" media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" /><source srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/03/720/405/954b2e01-Covenant-School-Nashville-Shooting_001.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/03/1440/810/954b2e01-Covenant-School-Nashville-Shooting_001.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x" media="(min-width: 1280px)" /></picture></div>
</div>

Covenant School

Federal Judge Orders FBI To Release Manifesto Of Trans-Identifying Nashville Shooter

Courts

manifesto

Nashville

School Shooting

Tennessee

The Covenant School

Transgender

A new <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/How-Federal-Law-Enforcement-Commandeered-Financial-Institutions-to-Spy.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government finds that federal law enforcement agencies asked major banks to monitor customers who oppose gun control and support strong border policies. The agencies equated these conservative views with potential “violent extremism.”
The investigation into the federal government’s surveillance of Americans’ financial activities <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/media/in-the-news/house-gop-investigating-bank-america-voluntarily-giving-fbi-list-customers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">began</a> in May 2023, after House Republicans discovered that Bank of America had voluntarily turned customer data over to the feds in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol protests.
At that time, FBI whistleblowers alleged that BofA had given the agency records from a “huge list” of customers who were in Washington D.C. on or around that date or who used a debit or credit card to purchase a firearm around that time. The whistleblowers claimed these actions were taken was without warrants, probable cause, or any of the constitutional protections that would be typically required.
After a year-long investigation, the committee found that the FBI worked with not only BofA, but many other financial institutions like Barclays, U.S. Bank, Charles Schwab, HSBC, and PayPal who voluntarily shared private customer banking records “with federal law enforcement outside of normal legal process.” The feds were particularly interested in purchases from sporting goods stores like Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops that sell firearms. The investigation also found that the FBI and other agencies flagged “Trump,” “MAGA,” “Bible” and other right-coded terms for banks to search in the transactions of customers who were not suspected of committing any crime. In one guidance, the agency said buying &#8220;religious texts&#8221; could be an indication of &#8220;extremism.&#8221;
Perhaps the most explosive revelation centers on an intelligence document titled “Domestic Violent Extremists Likely Emboldened in Aftermath of Capitol Breach” that the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Counterterrorism Center shared with about 650 private financial institutions. In it, the agencies identify certain viewpoints they say could correspond with being a violent extremist. It includes opposition to gun control legislation, support for measures to control the border and crack down on illegal immigration, opposition to COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates, and a belief in the existence of a deep state. The agencies asked the financial institutions to search customer transaction records for evidence of these beliefs and share that data with them. They also created a secret portal for a select group of major banking institutions that allowed for ongoing backchannel information sharing.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/state-of-the-union-national-guard-in-ny-subway-3-8-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LISTEN: Hear the full report from the House Weaponization Hearing on Morning Wire</a></h4>
In essence, the subcommittee says that the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies have weaponized financial institutions against conservatives. As the House report put it, “support for typical conservative policies…may result in an individual being labeled by the FBI as [domestic violence extremist] “Likely to Pose [an] Increasing Threat at Lawful Protests, Rallies, [and] Demonstrations.”
During a March 7 hearing related to these findings, subcommittee chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) said the message federal authorities are sending is “if you’ve got the wrong political beliefs, you’re potentially a domestic violent extremist.”
“We&#8217;ve seen the censorship, now we see what&#8217;s happening with big banks and big government relative to your financial data,” Jordan said. “Again, all this being done with no process, no warrant, no notification to the customer that the banks are actually supposed to serve. Big government&#8217;s not supposed to use big tech to censor Americans, and big government shouldn&#8217;t be working with big banks to target Americans for behavior that is legal and constitutional.”
In response to these revelations, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) has introduced the “Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act.” The bill would ban banks and credit card companies from using a code to track gun purchases, something she says would create a “backdoor gun registry.”
However, the bill would not address the broader terms the FBI and other agencies were asking banks to search, and it is not yet clear how or if Republicans will respond to those issues legislatively.
Brian Knight, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, said during the hearing the Weaponization Committee should be strategizing about how to protect Americans from unconstitutional financial data collecting at the bank-level. “I think that efforts to efforts to restrict the collection of data at the bank level are the best option we have currently,” he testified. “Because under current law, once the bank has that data, government has that data. So preventing the collection at the bank level is your first best option.”
Jordan Peterson, who is a Daily Wire personality, also testified at the March 7 hearing, warning that the practices the FBI and other federal agencies are currently involved in can quickly lead to a Chinese-style social credit system, where people with disfavored views find it very difficult to carry out financial transactions.
“This allows you purposefully to be shut out of all activities that can be virtualized,” he warned. “And in a rapidly virtualizing world, this increasingly means all activities. Driving, shopping, working, eating, finding shelter. Even fraternizing with friends and family. As merely being in the presence of someone with a low social credit score means that your own score can be lowered.”
He added that this is “precisely the payment system most desired by the most tyrannical.”
* * *
Listen to the full report on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/state-of-the-union-national-guard-in-ny-subway-3-8-24">Morning Wire</a>.

House Judiciary Holds Hearing Examining The Weaponization Of The Federal Government

Feds Equate Typical Conservative Views With ‘Violent Extremism’ In Financial Surveillance, House Weaponization Committee Finds

Feds Equate Typical Conservative Views With 'Violent Extremism' In Financial Surveillance, House Weaponization Committee Finds

Bank of America

Banking

Biden Administration

Conservatives

Jim Jordan

PayPal

Readers Pass

Surveillance

Weaponization

House Judiciary Chair <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) is looking into whether GoFundMe and Eventbrite cooperated with federal law enforcement during their investigation into the financial transactions of supporters of former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>. 
Jordan wrote to executives at both companies on Monday, asking them to provide any communications with the FBI and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the Treasury Department. He noted that FinCEN emailed banks about flagging “MAGA” and “TRUMP” transactions. 
After the January 6, 2021, breach at the U.S. Capitol, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-flagged-terms-like-trump-maga-for-banks-to-comb-through-customer-data-jordan-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FinCEN asked banks</a> to help federal law enforcement identify transactions of Trump supporters and others who purchased religious texts or visited certain outdoor stores, such as Cabela&#8217;s and Bass Pro Shops. FinCEN provided the banks with documentation on various typologies, suggested search terms, and also pointed them to crowdfunding sites, according to Jordan. The congressman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-flagged-terms-like-trump-maga-for-banks-to-comb-through-customer-data-jordan-says">previously said</a>, &#8220;FinCEN warned financial institutions of &#8216;extremism&#8217; indicators.&#8221; 
Jordan said in <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-03-04%20JDJ%20to%20GoFundMe.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his letter</a> to GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan that FinCen “emailed financial institutions a list of ‘crowdfunding sites’ that included GoFundMe, Eventbrite, and Anedot, among others, and explained how financial institutions could use a ‘transaction reference’ to identify customers making certain transactions on crowdfunding sites.”
“For example, in the email, FinCEN alerted financial institutions to customers’ use of Eventbrite, noting that ‘people have been observed using this site to post an event and sell tickets including bus tickets to the demonstrations,’” Jordan added. 
Jordan noted how transactions for individuals who “purchased tickets to events in support of President Trump” were flagged by FinCEN as potential targets for investigation. 
“Despite these transactions having no apparent nexus to criminal activity — and, in fact, relate to Americans exercising their First Amendment rights — FinCEN seems to have adopted a characterization of these Americans as potential threat actors,” Jordan wrote. “This kind of pervasive financial surveillance, carried out in coordination with federal law enforcement, without legal process, into Americans’ private transactions is alarming and raises serious concerns about the federal government’s potential abuses of Americans’ fundamental civil liberties.”
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In his letters, Jordan requested any communications from the FBI or FinCEN to either GoFundMe or Eventbrite. He gave the companies a March 18 deadline to comply with his requests. 
The revelations about the federal government’s investigation into Trump supporters have lawmakers concerned about potential violations of constitutional liberties, the government’s use of private financial information, and coordination between FinCEN and the private sector.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-flagged-terms-like-trump-maga-for-banks-to-comb-through-customer-data-jordan-says">Feds Flagged Terms Like &#8216;Trump,&#8217; &#8216;MAGA&#8217; For Banks To Comb Through Customer Data, Jordan Says</a>

House Oversight Committee Holds Biden Impeachment Hearing

Jim Jordan Investigating Whether GoFundMe And Eventbrite Helped Feds Snoop On Trump Supporters

Congress

GoFundMe

January 6

MAGA

Politics

The FBI is on the hunt for an Iranian intelligence operative who has been allegedly plotting to assassinate current and former U.S. government officials, including Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state under former President Donald Trump.
Last week, the Bureau’s Miami field office <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/terrorinfo/majid-dastjani-farahani" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a public alert as it sought information on Majid Dastjani Farahani, who is suspected of being a member of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, Semafor <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/03/04/2024/fbi-hunts-for-suspected-iranian-assassin-targeting-trump-era-officials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The FBI warned of Farahani, 42, in a Most Wanted notice on Friday, saying that he speaks Farsi, French, Spanish, and English and will often move between Iran and Venezuela.
According to the FBI, Farahani was recruiting “individuals for various operations in the United States, to include lethal targeting of current and former United States Government officials” as part of a revenge operation for the U.S. taking out Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani in 2020 under Trump and Pompeo.
<div id="attachment_705411" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-705411" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-705411" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/Screen-Shot-2024-03-04-at-4.04.14-PM-300x216.png" alt="" width="600" height="432" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/Screen-Shot-2024-03-04-at-4.04.14-PM-300x216.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/Screen-Shot-2024-03-04-at-4.04.14-PM-798x576.png 798w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/Screen-Shot-2024-03-04-at-4.04.14-PM-768x554.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/Screen-Shot-2024-03-04-at-4.04.14-PM-1536x1108.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/Screen-Shot-2024-03-04-at-4.04.14-PM.png 1616w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />MAJID DASTJANI FARAHANI/FBI Wanted Poster</div>
Semafor reported that U.S. officials said Pompeo and former special envoy for Iran Brian Hook were given 24-hour security after the FBI warned of Farahani. In 2022, the Department of Justice indicted members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for an alleged plot to assassinate former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who also served under Trump.
Farahani is also accused of recruiting people to run “surveillance activities focused on religious sites, businesses, and other facilities in the United States.”
Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike ordered by Trump in January 2020. The brutal Iranian general had been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American troops in Iraq, and the U.S. State Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-dept-iranian-general-killed-in-u-s-strike-responsible-for-17-of-american-deaths-in-iraq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> Soleimani was directly behind 17% of all U.S. personnel deaths during the Iraq War.
Shortly after Soleimani’s death, the top Iranian general and other officials <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-iranian-general-revenge-for-soleimani-death-to-happen-within-u-s-no-one-will-forget-what-we-do" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> that Iran would get <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/iran-vows-revenge-for-general-killed-by-u-s-says-it-will-hit-those-responsible" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revenge</a> on the U.S. Iran’s volatility raised concerns again when Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists launched an attack on Israel on October 7, killing over 1,200 and taking hundreds hostage into the Gaza Strip. The IRGC <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/irans-guard-corps-hamas-oct-7-attack-was-revenge-for-killing-of-soleimani-in-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> two months after the terrorist attack on Israel that it was “one of the revenges” for the killing of Soleimani.
While Hamas denied it had the same reason as the IRGC for its 10/7 atrocities, Iran’s threats, and thirst for bloodshed following the death of its beloved general were heard clearly. U.S. forces were even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/multiple-u-s-soldiers-killed-dozens-injured-by-iranian-backed-terrorists-in-middle-east" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacked</a> by Iranian-backed terrorists in January, and three American soldiers were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-on-u-s-soldiers-killed-tragic-consequence-of-joe-bidens-weakness-and-surrender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killed</a>.
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The Iranian-backed Houthis have also been causing chaos in the Red Sea and the Middle East, launching attacks on shipping vessels and Israeli forces. The U.S. has responded to the ongoing terrorist actions with limited strikes inside Yemen and a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-drone-strike-smokes-multiple-iranian-backed-terrorist-leaders-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drone strike</a> that killed multiple terrorist leaders in Baghdad, Iraq, last month.

Iran

FBI Looking For Iranian Spy Who Is Allegedly Plotting Assassinations Of Trump Admin Officials

assassination

Mike Pompeo

Qassem Soleimani

Spying

The FBI arrested a Blaze Media journalist who frequently reports on the January 6 Capitol riot, putting the investigative journalist on full display for a &#8220;perp walk&#8221; even after he turned himself in to authorities.
The arrest, captured on video and posted by TheBlaze founder Glenn Beck, shows a handcuffed and jacket-less Steve Baker being escorted by FBI agents from a building to a car.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The FBI HANDCUFFED Blaze Media investigative journalist <a href="https://twitter.com/TPC4USA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TPC4USA</a> and made him take a PERP WALK for his reporting on January 6th. This is unbelievable. <a href="https://t.co/yA2PILM9yk">pic.twitter.com/yA2PILM9yk</a>
&mdash; Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) <a href="https://twitter.com/glennbeck/status/1763593019654021560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Baker was <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/blaze-news-investigative-writer-steve-baker-whos-been-reporting-on-january-6-handcuffed-charged" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> with four misdemeanors related to his reporting at the U.S. Capitol back on January 6, 2021.
The four charges are knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a capitol building; and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building.
Earlier this week, the FBI ordered Baker to surrender himself on Friday morning. Baker said the FBI told him to arrive at the field office in &#8220;shorts and sandals,&#8221; but he arrived in a suit and tie instead.
Baker <a class="rm-stats-tracked" href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/blaze-media-investigative-journalist-steve-baker-says-justice-department-will-be-charging-him-for-his-jan-6-reporting" target="_self" rel="noopener">announced</a> back in December that he expected the Justice Department to charge him over his reporting on January 6. On Tuesday, he spoke out about his upcoming arrest, stating that he was required to turn himself in at 7 a.m. and that he would be transported to the Dallas courthouse for a 10 a.m. hearing before the magistrate.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨BREAKING🧵- This time, it’s really happening.
Unlike the two previous threats my attorneys received from <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thejusticedept</a> (Nov. 21 and Dec. 23), my self-surrender for alleged J6 crimes is set for this Friday morning in Dallas, TX. There is now a signed arrest warrant.⬇️
&mdash; Steve Baker &#8211; TPC (@TPC4USA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPC4USA/status/1762652438727627133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;My attorneys have also been assured by the gov. that this will be an ‘in and out’ affair and that they have &#8216;no intention&#8217; of detaining me,&#8221; Baker said. &#8220;But, rather than issuing a simple order to appear, they seem to feel the need to give me a dose of the personal humiliation treatment.&#8221;
Beck, who is also the co-founder of Blaze Media, expressed his support for Baker on Friday.
&#8220;When the United States government can come after individuals, that&#8217;s when you know our republic is crumbling. I&#8217;ve always said that if they can go after Donald Trump, they will go after people like you and me. And now they are. But Steve Baker is not deterred, and neither are we,&#8221; Beck <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/free-press-under-fire-steve-bakers-battle-and-ours" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in an op-ed.
The federal investigation into Baker began before he joined The Blaze when he was an independent journalist.
The charging documents against Baker reference a YouTube video in which he allegedly said he followed rioters into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi&#8217;s office on January 6.
In that video, Baker said the &#8220;only thing I regret&#8221; is that he did not steal computers because &#8220;God knows what I could&#8217;ve found,&#8221; according to the documents.
&#8220;They got Pelosi&#8217;s office and it couldn&#8217;t happen to a more deserving b****,&#8221; Baker said in the video, according to the documents.
In another video that Baker allegedly recorded outside the Capitol, he said, &#8220;Look out your windows b****es, look what&#8217;s coming,&#8221; the documents note.
Later in a local news interview, Baker said he was &#8220;quite excited to see this going on,&#8221; adding, &#8220;Do I approve of what happened today? I approve 100%.&#8221;
Baker <a href="https://www.glennbeck.com/radio/jan-6-journalist-fbi-arrest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in an interview this week that it is &#8220;common&#8221; for law enforcement to allow the press to cross a police line to document events of public interest.
He accused the government of &#8220;selective prosecution,&#8221; saying that dozens of other reporters entered the Capitol on January 6.
Since January 6, Baker&#8217;s reporting on January 6 <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/analysis/harry-dunns-account-of-january-6-does-not-add-up-at-all" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questioned</a> whether a Capitol Police officer perjured himself in the trial of the Oath Keepers. He has also written an article questioning another Capitol Police officer&#8217;s account of January 6.

An FBI agent uses a gun in action

WATCH: FBI Arrests Blaze Reporter Over January 6 Reporting

FBI Arrests Blaze Reporter Over January 6 Reporting

BlazeTV

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FBI