The House Judiciary Committee on Friday requested a transcribed interview with the head of the World Federation of Advertisers&#8217; Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), a group through which the committee says major corporations colluded to try to bankrupt conservative media outlets by withholding advertising dollars.
In the <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/2024-04-12-JDJ-to-GARM-re-TI-request.pdf">letter</a> obtained exclusively by The Daily Wire, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, asks Robert Rakowitz, the Initiative Lead and Co-founder of GARM, to appear voluntarily before the committee.
&#8220;To advance our oversight and inform potential legislation related to this coordination, the Committee must understand how and to what extent WFA and GARM may facilitate collusion,&#8221; the letter continued. &#8220;As Initiative Lead and Co-founder of GARM, you possess unique and specialized information that will advance the Committee’s oversight and inform legislative reforms. Accordingly, we request that you appear for a transcribed interview with the Committee.&#8221;
Jordan adds in the letter the committee&#8217;s belief that GARM &#8220;may be acting inconsistent with U.S. antitrust laws and congressional intent by coordinating GARM members’ efforts to demonetize and eliminate disfavored content online.&#8221;
The missive is the latest piece of evidence that Republicans are turning to anti-trust protections — a monopoly-busting tool once heralded by the political Left — to target corporations who, even while nominally competitors, band together to push a political agenda.
GARM has sought to set standards that block major corporations from advertising on media outlets that various partisan ratings firms claim promote &#8220;misinformation.&#8221; Such ratings firms have rated mainstream, center-right publications like Reason Magazine and the New York Post as untrustworthy, while dutifully enforcing government lines such as claiming the coronavirus lab leak theory is a conspiracy theory&#8211;even though the government now says it&#8217;s likely true.
GARM did not return a request for comment from The Daily Wire.
The Judiciary Committee said in an earlier letter that it has already received GARM documents that show that it was targeting media outlets specifically because of their politics, and that those outlets include The Daily Wire, Fox News, and Breitbart.
Previous letters requesting documents “relating to the categorization, demonetization, or elimination of online speech&#8221; went to major corporations on GARM’s “steering committee” — Unilever, Procter &amp; Gamble, GroupM, Diageo, and Mars — saying the documents “directly connect” the companies with such efforts.
The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/docs-show-corporate-giants-are-colluding-to-demonetize-conservative-platforms-judiciary-committee-says">reported</a>:
<blockquote>WFA announced the GARM’s creation at the 2019 Cannes festival, a gathering of global elites, amidst complaints about “disinformation” and “fake news,” but later that year said it would become a flagship project of the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s “Platform for Shaping the Future of Media, Entertainment and Culture.” &#8230;
GARM says it provides members with “Brand Safety.” For-profit firms like Newsguard have shown what that means in practice: Companies that might buy ads are given lists of what TV programs, channels, podcasts, or newspapers are either safe to advertise on or should be avoided. This is billed as avoiding risks to their reputation or boycotts—essentially saying that if a company wants to avoid boycotts from the Left or smear campaigns, they should not do business with certain media outlets. &#8230;
The challenge of meaningfully steering the entire media ecosystem was “big,” it said, yet GARM included 61 major companies that buy a large portion of the advertising in the world, as well as 35 separate industry associations that represent many more advertisers.
The WFA, along with the Global Disinformation Index, Newsguard, and other firms that would profit from “disinformation” crackdowns, <a href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/signatories-2022-strengthened-code-practice-disinformation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lobbied</a> the European Union for a “Strengthened Code of Practice on Disinformation” in 2022.</blockquote>

Rep. Jim Jordan

Congress Calls In Head Of Advertiser Coalition For Interview On Coordinated Targeting Of Conservative Outlets

Censorship

Jim Jordan

Misinformation

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has chosen to rebuff <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Republicans</a> seeking audio of special counsel Robert Hur&#8217;s interviews with President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> for a classified documents investigation despite a threat to hold Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/merrick-garland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merrick Garland</a> in contempt of Congress for defying their subpoenas.
Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte wrote in a <a href="https://punchbowl.news/2024-04-08-out-jordan-comer-re-sco-hur/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> sent to House Oversight Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-comer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Comer</a> (R-KY) and Judiciary Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) on Monday — which was the deadline the congressional leaders set for the materials — that a transcript for the two-day interview that was already provided to them should be sufficient.
&#8220;The Department is concerned that the Committees&#8217; particular focus on continuing to demand information that is cumulative of information we already gave you — what the President and Mr. Hur&#8217;s team said in the interview — indicates that the Committees&#8217; interests may not be in receiving information in service of legitimate oversight or investigatory functions, but to serve political purposes that should have no role in the treatment of law enforcement files,&#8221; Uriarte said.
Comer and Jordan <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-03-25%20JDJ%20JC%20to%20DOJ%20re%20Hur%20subpoena%20and%20contempt.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> to Garland two weeks ago, saying they received redacted transcripts of Hur&#8217;s interview with Biden on March 12, just hours before the special counsel testified before the House. The chairmen again demanded audio recordings of Hur&#8217;s interview with Biden, which they had stressed as a priority, and audio recordings of the special counsel&#8217;s interview with Biden&#8217;s ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, in compliance with subpoenas from February.
If Garland failed to provide the materials by April 8, the committees &#8220;will consider taking further action, such as the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings,&#8221; they warned.
The committees have &#8220;already received the extraordinary accommodation of the transcripts, which gives you the information you say you need,&#8221; Uriarte claimed. &#8220;To go further by producing the audio files would compound the likelihood that future prosecutors will be unable to secure this level of cooperation. They might have a harder time obtaining consent to an interview at all. It is clearly not in the public interest to render such cooperation with prosecutors and investigators less likely in the future.&#8221;
Uriarte said his letter &#8220;supplements&#8221; previous responses to the panels and noted a transcript of Hur&#8217;s interview with Zwonitzer was enclosed as &#8220;further accommodation.&#8221; He argued that the information provided &#8220;does appear&#8221; to resolve the concerns raised by Comer and Jordan related to legislative oversight of the DOJ and the impeachment inquiry against Biden.
In a sign that the clash over materials from Hur&#8217;s investigation into Biden&#8217;s handling of classified records is not yet over, Comer released a statement that said Oversight and Judiciary Committees will &#8220;soon&#8221; respond to DOJ while seeking &#8220;needed&#8221; information.
&#8220;The Biden Administration does not get to determine what Congress needs and does not need for its oversight of the executive branch,&#8221; Comer <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer/status/1777448098308001999" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;The American people deserve to hear the actual audio of President Biden’s answers to Special Counsel Hur.&#8221;
Seeming to anticipate an escalation, Uriarte pleaded how it is &#8220;not too late for the Committees to choose a different path, to take on offramp towards the &#8216;spirit of dynamic compromise&#8217; that the Constitution requires of us both.&#8221;
Hur&#8217;s report, which was released in February, criticized Biden&#8217;s retention of classified records while out of office, yet the prosecutor declined to recommend charges. The report described Biden as a &#8220;sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory&#8221; whom a jury likely would not convict &#8220;of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.&#8221;
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The special counsel also found that Zwonitzer deleted recordings of conversations he had with Biden upon learning about the documents inquiry, but the ghostwriter provided &#8220;plausible, innocent reasons&#8221; for his actions and other materials. Ultimately, Hur said he determined the evidence would not suffice for a conviction on obstruction of justice.
Biden and the White House have pushed back against Hur&#8217;s characterizations in his report, but Garland insisted that it would have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/garland-says-censoring-hurs-biden-docs-report-would-have-been-absurd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;absurd&#8221;</a> for someone in his position to have edited or censored the special counsel&#8217;s explanation.

Attorney General Merrick Garland

Garland Risks Contempt Of Congress As DOJ Spurns House GOP Demand For Biden Audio

Congress

Department of Justice

House Republicans

James Comer

Joe Biden

Merrick Garland

Politics

Robert Hur

U.S. House of Representatives

Georgia&#8217;s Fulton County District Attorney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fulton-county-prosecutors-have-another-recording-of-trump-pressuring-georgia-house-speaker-to-overturn-election-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fani Willis</a>, who is leading a 2020 election interference case against former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> and his allies, issued a combative response to House Judiciary Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) this week in a clash over documents.
The prosecutor sent Jordan a <a href="https://twitter.com/ZcohenCNN/status/1773052447558103124?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> on Monday saying that she &#8220;categorically&#8221; rejected the chairman&#8217;s assertion that her office has not sufficiently responded to his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-jordan-subpoenas-fulton-da-fani-willis-following-whistleblower-allegations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subpoena</a> from early February.
&#8220;As you note in your letter, we have already provided you with substantial information about our programs that are funded via federal grants,&#8221; Willis said, according to a copy of the letter posted to X by CNN reporter Zachary Cohen.
Jordan issued the subpoena after the Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-unveils-audio-of-staffer-warning-georgia-prosecutor-of-federal-money-being-misspent-ahead-of-firing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> audio of an employee telling Willis about the potential misuse of federal funds weeks before the worker was fired. Willis has <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/rep-jim-jordan-subpoenas-fulton-da-produce-documents-tied-alleged-relationship/TX7JF5XDFZHD3MMY2SBI32XPPQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> suggestions of wrongdoing.
The chairman followed up with a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-jordan-threatens-fulton-county-da-fani-willis-with-contempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Willis two weeks ago that acknowledged the DA did produce some records, but demanded she fully comply with document requests and a subpoena by Thursday or face the prospect of contempt of Congress proceedings.
Willis said a February 23 letter she sent Jordan expressed that her office was &#8220;in the process of producing relevant documents to you on a rolling basis and is undertaking a good faith effort to provide you with responsive information about our federal grant funding.&#8221;
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Although the DA said her office was making another production on Monday as part of that &#8220;ongoing process,&#8221; she claimed Jordan&#8217;s &#8220;extensive&#8221; demands that cover several years for records in less than two months are &#8220;unreasonable and uncustomary.&#8221;
Willis insisted that such an endeavor would require her office to &#8220;divert resources from our primary purpose of prosecuting crime,&#8221; though she did not name any particular case.
&#8220;Let me be clear, while we are abiding by your subpoena in good faith and with due diligence, we will not divert resources that undermine our duty to the people of Fulton County to prosecute felonies committed in this jurisdiction,&#8221; Willis said.
&#8220;We will not shut down this office&#8217;s efforts to prosecute crime — including gang activity, acts of violence and public corruption — to meet unreasonable deadlines in your politically motivated &#8216;investigation&#8217; of this office,&#8221; she added.
Willis said her office will make another production in the &#8220;coming weeks.&#8221;
She then alluded to Trump&#8217;s trial, which she <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/21/politics/fani-willis-trump-georgia-trial/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly hopes</a> to have before the 2024 election after a judge allowed her to press forward with special prosecutor Nathan Wade <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nathan-wade-steps-down-as-special-prosecutor-in-trump-georgia-case-following-judges-ruling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resigning</a> amid concerns about a romantic relationship between him and the DA.
&#8220;[L]et me again state this clearly: nothing that you do will derail the efforts of my staff and I to bring the election interference prosecution to trial so that a jury of Fulton County citizens can determine the guilt or innocence of the defendants,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;My family, my staff and I have been threatened repeatedly by people making violent, often racist, attacks,&#8221; Willis added. &#8220;Neither those threats, nor anything your colleagues and you say or do, will deter us from fulfilling our duty to bring this case to trial.&#8221;
Trump and 18 co-defendants pleaded not guilty in the Georgia election case. Four of them have since taken <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/fourth-trump-co-defendant-takes-plea-deal-in-georgia-election-interference-case/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plea deals</a>. Trump and some of his co-defendants have been <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-20/trump-judge-allows-appeal-of-his-ruling-on-fani-willis-romance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">granted permission</a> to appeal the ruling that allowed Willis to remain on the case.
The former president faces four criminal cases and civil litigation as he runs another campaign seeking a second term in the White House. He has broadly denied wrongdoing and has claimed that prosecutors are engaged in a politically motivated “witch hunt” against him.

Fulton County DA Fani Willis

Fani Willis Responds To Jordan’s Demand For Docs After Contempt Threat

Fani Willis Responds To Jordan's Demand For Docs After Contempt Threat

Donald Trump

Fani Willis

Georgia

subpoena

U.S.

On Monday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Republicans</a> threatened to hold Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/merrick-garland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merrick Garland</a> in contempt of Congress over materials from special counsel Robert Hur&#8217;s investigation into President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden&#8217;s</a> handling of classified documents.
Oversight Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-comer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Comer</a> (R-KY) and Judiciary Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) sent a <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-03-25%20JDJ%20JC%20to%20DOJ%20re%20Hur%20subpoena%20and%20contempt.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Garland that claimed the Department of Justice (DOJ) is withholding materials that are responsive to their subpoenas, specifically citing audio recordings of Hur&#8217;s interviews with Biden as well as the transcript and audio recordings of Hur&#8217;s interviews with Biden&#8217;s ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer.
&#8220;The February 27 subpoenas create a legal obligation on you to produce this material,&#8221; Comer and Jordan wrote. &#8220;Accordingly, the Committees expect you to produce all responsive materials no later than 12:00 p.m. on April 8, 2024. If you fail to do so, the Committees will consider taking further action, such as the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to the DOJ seeking comment.
&#8220;The Department has been extraordinarily transparent with Congress,&#8221; a DOJ spokeswoman said in response. &#8220;The Attorney General released Mr. Hur’s report to Congress and made no redactions or changes, the Department provided documents to Congress including a copy of the President’s interview transcript, and Mr. Hur testified before Congress for more than five hours about his investigation.&#8221;
The spokeswoman added, &#8220;Given the Department’s ongoing and extensive cooperation, we hope they will reconsider this unnecessary escalation.&#8221;
Hur&#8217;s report, which was released last month, criticized Biden&#8217;s retention of classified records following his service as a U.S. senator and vice president, but the prosecutor declined to recommend charges.
The report described Biden as a &#8220;sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory&#8221; whom a jury likely would not convict &#8220;of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.&#8221;
Biden and the White House have pushed back against Hur&#8217;s characterizations in his report, but Garland insisted last week that it would have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/garland-says-censoring-hurs-biden-docs-report-would-have-been-absurd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;absurd&#8221;</a> for someone in his position to have edited or censored the special counsel&#8217;s explanation.
Following the release of Hur&#8217;s report, Comer and Jordan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-subpoena-garland-for-biden-docs-probe-materials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> they had subpoenaed Garland, declaring in a cover letter that the DOJ failed to produce any of the materials they had previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-set-deadline-for-doj-to-produce-biden-docs-probe-materials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested</a> — including transcripts, notes, video, and audio files.
The chairmen suggested that documents retained by Biden may be pertinent to the corruption-focused impeachment inquiry into the president and said they wanted to know if the White House or Biden’s personal attorneys placed any limitations or scoping restrictions during the interviews.
Comer and Jordan also wrote the Judiciary Committee sought materials for its oversight of the DOJ&#8217;s &#8220;commitment to impartial justice and its handling of the investigation and prosecution of President Biden’s presumptive opponent, President Donald J. Trump, in the November 2024 presidential election.&#8221;
On the March 7 subpoena deadline, the department provided an &#8220;insufficient production that only included letters exchanged between President Biden’s legal counsel and the Department, along with an offer to review two classified documents in camera,&#8221; the lawmakers wrote in their new letter.
Comer and Jordan said they notified the DOJ on March 9 that the production was &#8220;inadequate&#8221; and demanded the department produce &#8220;all&#8221; materials responsive to their subpoenas by the afternoon of March 11, one day before <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/accusations-fly-as-hur-clashes-with-schiff-on-biden-docs-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hur testified</a> before the House Judiciary Committee about his investigation.
Yet again, the DOJ &#8220;failed to comply&#8221; with their deadline, instead informing committee staff &#8220;that an &#8216;interagency review&#8217; for classified and confidential information was still pending,&#8221; the lawmakers wrote. A little more than two hours before Hur was scheduled to testify, the DOJ produced two redacted transcripts of the special counsel&#8217;s interviews with Biden, they added.
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Comer and Jordan noted that news reports indicated that &#8220;several&#8221; news outlets received and reviewed the transcripts of Hur&#8217;s interviews with Biden before they were produced to their committees, even though the DOJ indicated that it only completed the &#8220;interagency review&#8221; of the transcripts the morning of March 12.
&#8220;Because the Department and the White House were presumably the only two entities with copies of the transcripts before the Committees received them, we can only assume that, for political purposes, the Department and White House provided the transcripts to news outlets before the Department completed its “interagency review” process,&#8221; the lawmakers wrote. &#8220;If that is not the case, we can only assume that the Department misled the Committees about the timing of its completion of such process.&#8221;

House Republicans Threaten Garland With Contempt Over Biden Docs Probe Materials

Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan (R-OH) on Tuesday sent a letter demanding information from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/haitian-migrant-who-entered-u-s-under-biden-parole-program-charged-with-rape-of-teenage-girl-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Haitian migrant</a> accused of raping a 15-year-old disabled girl in Massachusetts earlier this month.
Cory Alvarez, 26, was arraigned last Thursday and pleaded not guilty to aggravated rape of a child at a hotel that was set up as a migrant shelter. The teenage girl, who is also a Haitian and was living in the same hotel, told police through an interpreter that she went to Alvarez’s room so he could help her with her tablet before he forced himself on her. Alvarez flew into John F. Kennedy International Airport last June after being sponsored by someone in the U.S. under a Biden administration program that allows up to 30,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans to fly into the country each month, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/haitian-migrant-charged-rape-15-year-old-girl-entered-controversial-parole-program-sources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
In the <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/1770410512666239026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> — which was also signed by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement — the congressmen said the Biden administration was running an &#8220;illegal categorical parole program&#8221; for migrants.
&#8220;Criminal aliens exploit vulnerabilities in our nation’s immigration system to the detriment of those in the United States,&#8221; the letter states. &#8220;The Biden Administration’s border and immigration policies only increase the likelihood that criminal aliens will successfully enter and remain in the U.S.&#8221;
The letter demands that Mayorkas hand over information on Alvarez, such as his immigration history and detention status, immigration benefits application, and &#8220;the time, date, and place of any and all of the alien’s entries into the United States.&#8221; Jordan and McClintock also want information on the sponsorship request from the person who was financially responsible for Alvarez&#8217;s flight to the U.S.
The Republican lawmakers added that they want to know &#8220;whether CBP officials were alerted to derogatory information about the alien and what questions were asked of the alien during the screening process.&#8221;
Mayorkas has until 5:00 p.m. on April 2 to hand over the requested information, per the letter&#8217;s request.
James Covington, a spokesman for Boston Enforcement and Removal Operations of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said that Alvarez entered the U.S. lawfully and ICE placed an immigration detainer on him following his arrest for the alleged rape, The Boston Herald <a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/03/20/rep-jim-jordan-launches-investigation-into-haitian-accused-of-raping-migrant-girl-in-rockland/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
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Massachusetts Democratic Governor Maura Healey also said the Haitian migrant entered the country “lawfully under the federal government through a federal program” but did not specify which program it was.
“We have security and systems in place. We have vetting in place. It is unfortunate that from time to time, things will happen … anywhere, not just in shelter, but anywhere,” Healey said. “This is an allegation of sexual assault and rape. It’s one that we take very seriously. I’m glad that law enforcement was right on it.”
Biden&#8217;s controversial migrant parole program, known as <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/CHNV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHNV</a>, allows Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans to apply for &#8220;advanced authorization to travel and a temporary period of parole for up to two years.&#8221; The program has been challenged by more than 20 Republican-led states that filed a lawsuit earlier this month alleging it forced states to spend millions of dollars on health care, education, and public safety.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton, however, said the states did not show they had suffered any financial harm because of the program, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-haiti-cuba-nicaragua-venezuela-trial-fac9dc853231ba04ff0ea4e7442057ef" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Tipton clarified, “In reaching this conclusion, the Court does not address the lawfulness of the Program.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Per DHS sources to me &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/GriffJenkins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GriffJenkins</a>, the Haitian man arrested for raping a 15 y/o disabled girl at a migrant hotel in Massachusetts Wednesday night came to the U.S. via the Biden admin’s parole program for Haitians, which allowed him to fly into JFK airport in NYC… <a href="https://t.co/Kt4c4hU4Qn">pic.twitter.com/Kt4c4hU4Qn</a>
&mdash; Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1768602198546808871?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jim Jordan Demands Answers From DHS On How Haitian Migrant Charged With Raping Minor Entered U.S.

Biden Administration

Haitian immigrants

Immigration

Rape

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Republicans</a> are broadening their inquiry related to Jose Antonio Ibarra, the Venezuelan illegal immigrant <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/man-arrested-for-murder-of-georgia-nursing-student-was-illegal-immigrant-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged with murdering</a> Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, seeking information on encounters between federal officials and the alleged killer&#8217;s brothers.
Authorities detained Jose Antonio Ibarra after Riley, a 22-year-old student at Augusta University, was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/22/us/uga-woman-body-found.html?partner=slack&amp;smid=sl-share" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found dead</a> last month at the University of Georgia in Athens with blunt force trauma. Jose Antonio Ibarra <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/crime/jose-ibarra-accused-killer-laken-riley-arrest-warrant-details/85-1cfb94d3-1a15-4abe-a2f9-56835a7f905e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faces</a> charges for murder, assault, and more in connection to the killing and he is <a href="https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/laken-riley-murder-jose-ibarra-asks-for-jury-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seeking a jury trial</a>.
Judiciary Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) and Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Chairman Tom McClintock (R-CA) made the demand for information on Jose Antonio Ibarra&#8217;s brothers in a new <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-03-18%20JDJ%20TM%20to%20DHS%20re%20Ibarra%20Brothers%20a%20files.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> sent on Monday to Homeland Security Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alejandro-mayorkas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alejandro Mayorkas</a>, who faces the prospect of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-senators-warn-dems-may-dispense-with-mayorkas-impeachment-articles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate trial</a> after the GOP-led House impeached him over the handling of the border crisis.
The lawmakers said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acknowledged that Ibarra’s brothers, Diego and Argenis Ibarra, entered the United States illegally through Eagle Pass, Texas, in April of 2023 and, although the siblings were &#8220;expelled&#8221; by Border Patrol agents pursuant to Title 42 authorities, they re-entered the country illegally a couple of weeks later.
&#8220;Despite attempting to bite a Border Patrol agent, Diego Ibarra was subsequently released on Alternatives to Detention (ATD) by ICE,&#8221; Jordan and McClintock wrote. &#8220;Argenis Ibarra was released by ICE with a notice to appear in immigration court.&#8221;
The lawmakers said, &#8220;Since his release, Diego Ibarra’s interactions with U.S. law enforcement officials reportedly include arrests for &#8216;failure to appear for a fingerprintable offense,&#8217; driving under the influence, &#8216;speeding, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, possession of an open container of alcohol, driving without a license,&#8217; shoplifting, as well as a visit from police during which Diego Ibarra was accused of slapping his girlfriend in the face.&#8221;
They added, &#8220;According to authorities, Diego Ibarra, like his brother Jose, &#8216;appears to be affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang.&#8217; He was most recently arrested as police in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, were searching for Riley’s murderer, after he produced a fake green card when asked for identification. Argenis Ibarra was encountered by ICE on February 23, 2024, in Athens, Georgia, while ICE was &#8216;assisting the University of Georgia Police Department with their investigation into the murder of Laken Riley.'&#8221;
That same day, the Department of Justice announced that Diego Ibarra was detained and <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/undocumented-venezuelan-man-charged-possessing-fake-green-card" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> with possessing a fake green card.
Jordan and McClintock <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-gop-demands-mayorkas-provide-info-on-illegal-immigrant-charged-with-murdering-georgia-student" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously demanded</a> Mayorkas provide details on Jose Antonio Ibarra, noting his prior run-ins with federal and local law enforcement. They asked for case history information on Jose Antonio Ibarra, details on all of his entries into the United States, information about his processing by Customs and Border Protection officials, and whether ICE lodged an immigration detainer against him.
The lawmakers are now seeking the same information on Diego and Argenis Ibarra, as well as ATD details with a deadline of 5 p.m. on April 1.
&#8220;Criminal aliens exploit vulnerabilities in our nation’s immigration system to the detriment of those in the United States,&#8221; Jordan and McClintock wrote. &#8220;The Biden Administration’s border and immigration policies only increase the likelihood that criminal aliens will successfully enter and remain in the U.S.&#8221;

Chairman Jim Jordan

House Republicans Expand Laken Riley Probe Seeking Immigration Details On Alleged Murderer’s Brothers

House Republicans Expand Laken Riley Probe Seeking Immigration Details On Alleged Murderer's Brothers

Border Crisis

Illegal Immigration

Laken Riley

House Judiciary Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) announced on Thursday that Georgia&#8217;s Fulton County District Attorney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fulton-county-prosecutors-have-another-recording-of-trump-pressuring-georgia-house-speaker-to-overturn-election-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fani Willis</a>, who is leading a 2020 election interference case against former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> and his allies, could face contempt of Congress proceedings.
A <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-03-14%20JDJ%20to%20Willis%20re%20subpoena%20noncompliance%20and%20contempt.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> Jordan sent to Willis demands that the prosecutor comply with document requests and a subpoena <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-jordan-subpoenas-fulton-da-fani-willis-following-whistleblower-allegations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> on February 2 following the Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-unveils-audio-of-staffer-warning-georgia-prosecutor-of-federal-money-being-misspent-ahead-of-firing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publishing</a> audio of an employee telling Willis about the potential misuse of federal funds weeks before the worker was fired.
&#8220;On February 23, 2024, you responded to the Committee’s subpoena with a letter in which you smeared a former employee of yours who spoke out about your misuse of federal grant funds,&#8221; Jordan wrote in the letter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jim_Jordan</a> threatens to hold Fani Willis in contempt <a href="https://t.co/2XLt3eOPYN">pic.twitter.com/2XLt3eOPYN</a>
&mdash; House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/1768321371363283329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;We will not dignify your attacks on this brave whistleblower, or your continued attempts to distract from your conduct through misdirection and personal insults,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The allegations in the public realm about your misuse of federal grant funding are concerning, and the Committee has an obligation to examine them.&#8221;
The letter said Willis did produce some records, such as award letters from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and screenshots of expense budget summaries, but faulted the DA for not providing other documents and communications across a number of categories, including those referring to any allegations of the misuse of federal funds by the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office and contacts with the DOJ.
According to Jordan, a letter Willis sent to the House Judiciary Committee requested the panel &#8220;engage&#8221; with the DOJ to obtain some of the records, but the chairman said that it does not &#8220;alleviate&#8221; the prosecutor&#8217;s legal obligation to comply with the subpoena. Jordan also rebuffed an objection by Willis to the &#8220;overbroad and unduly burdensome&#8221; subpoena, saying his panel exercised &#8220;restraint&#8221; and sought only two categories of documents in a limited scope of time.
&#8220;While you have indicated that additional documents may be forthcoming in response to the Committee’s subpoena, the Committee has yet to receive any additional responsive materials in the three weeks since your initial response,&#8221; Jordan wrote.
&#8220;Accordingly, the Committee expects that you will produce all responsive documents to the subpoena in the categories prioritized by the Committee no later than 12:00 p.m. on March 28, 2024,&#8221; he added. &#8220;If you fail to do so, the Committee will consider taking further action, such as the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings.&#8221;
WSB-TV, a local ABC affiliate, <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/rep-jim-jordan-subpoenas-fulton-da-produce-documents-tied-alleged-relationship/TX7JF5XDFZHD3MMY2SBI32XPPQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> a statement from Willis that was released when Jordan issued the subpoena last month.
“These false allegations are included in baseless litigation filed by a holdover employee from the previous administration who was terminated for cause,&#8221; Willis said. &#8220;The courts that have ruled found no merit in these claims. We expect the same result in any pending litigation.&#8221;
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She added, &#8220;Any examination of the records of our grant programs will find that they are highly effective and conducted in cooperation with the Department of Justice and in compliance with all Department of Justice requirements.&#8221;
Willis is facing possible disqualification from her 2020 case over her relationship with her lead prosecutor Nathan Wade. A judge could <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/fani-willis-case-trump-georgia-decision/14524185/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issue a ruling</a> as early as this week. Six of the charges brought by Willis against Trump and his co-defendants were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/6-charges-brought-by-fani-willis-against-trump-allies-dismissed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> on Wednesday, though other counts remain.
Trump faces four criminal cases and civil litigation as he runs another campaign seeking a second term in the White House. He has broadly denied wrongdoing and has claimed that prosecutors are engaged in a politically motivated “witch hunt” against him.

Fulton DA Fani Willis

Jim Jordan Threatens Fulton County DA Fani Willis With Contempt

On Wednesday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) once again subpoenaed Homeland Security Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alejandro-mayorkas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alejandro Mayorkas</a>, this time demanding records pertaining to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The subpoena is at least the third one Jordan has sent to Mayorkas in recent months, following one in <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-jordan-subpoenas-secretary-mayorkas-information-violent-criminal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">December</a> regarding documents on &#8220;violent&#8221; illegal immigrants and another in <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-jordan-subpoenas-dhs-secretary-mayorkas-failing-provide-information" target="_blank" rel="noopener">February</a> over border security issues in Texas.
Jordan has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-gop-demands-mayorkas-provide-info-on-illegal-immigrant-charged-with-murdering-georgia-student" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sought</a> information on the illegal immigrant charged with murdering Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Chairman <a href="https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jim_Jordan</a> subpoenas DHS Secretary Mayorkas for <a href="https://twitter.com/ICEgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ICEgov</a> data, documents, and communications.
America faces a migrant crisis at the southern border and DHS failed to fully comply with the Committee&#39;s requests for over four months. 
Unacceptable. <a href="https://t.co/maMf5LHr8q">pic.twitter.com/maMf5LHr8q</a>
&mdash; House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/1767968216381350342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;As a part of its oversight efforts, we conducted transcribed interviews with several Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. During these transcribed interviews, the ICE witnesses were unable to answer certain questions about data, documents, and communications related to the Biden Administration’s immigration policies,&#8221; Jordan <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-03-13%20JDJ%20to%20DHS%20re%20subpoena.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in his latest subpoena cover letter to Mayorkas.
&#8220;On November 2, 2023, the Committee requested that the Department provide the information that the ICE witnesses could not provide during their transcribed interviews. To date, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has failed to fully comply with our requests,&#8221; he added.
Jordan said committee staff tried on a number of occasions to inquire about the status of the requested information in the months after DHS missed the deadline. Across two occasions, the agency&#8217;s staff responded with first &#8220;only a partial answer&#8221; and later produced links to some public data and information that did not meet the panel&#8217;s demands, the chairman added.
&#8220;Although we appreciate that DHS has provided some limited data, your failure to produce all the requested documents and information prevents the Committee from fulfilling its constitutional oversight obligations,&#8221; Jordan wrote.
Jordan said that his committee has jurisdiction over matters concerning federal immigration law and suggested the information it seeks may influence legislative forms that could include, &#8220;reforming Alternatives to Detention, increasing penalties on aliens who abscond from ICE, and enhancing ICE’s tracking, detention, and communications standards for aliens on the terrorist watchlist.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to DHS seeking comment on the newest subpoena. In reply, a DHS official said the agency has facilitated 10 transcribed interviews with ICE personnel for the committee, provided &#8220;extensive&#8221; data and information in response to follow-up requests, and answered two-thirds of the 24 &#8220;get backs&#8221; from the panel with others in progress.
&#8220;Instead of working cooperatively, as DHS has repeatedly sought to do, the House Judiciary Committee continues to waste time with unnecessary subpoenas that serve no purpose beyond political posturing,&#8221; said DHS press secretary Mia Ehrenberg. &#8220;In this Administration, DHS has produced thousands of pages of documents, provided countless briefings, and sent dozens of witnesses to appear for hearings. On this request alone, DHS already provided the vast majority of the information requested by the committee and made clear that our efforts remain ongoing.&#8221;
Ehrenberg added, “DHS will continue cooperating with Congressional oversight requests, all while faithfully working to protect our nation from terrorism and targeted violence, secure our borders, respond to natural disasters, defend against cyberattacks, and more.&#8221;
House Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-impeaches-mayorkas-in-second-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> in February to impeach Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis. A month later, a Senate trial <a href="https://twitter.com/jamiedupree/status/1767990471324737779" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has yet to happen</a>.

Jordan Fires Another Subpoena At Mayorkas Demanding ICE Records

Alejandro Mayorkas

Department of Homeland Security

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

Conservatives

PayPal

Readers Pass

Surveillance

Weaponization

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson will testify on Capitol Hill this week for a House hearing on allegations of government collusion with banks to snoop on the private financial information of U.S. citizens, The Daily Wire has learned.
The Thursday hearing will be held by the House Judiciary Committee&#8217;s Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, which is chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). Jordan announced in January of this year that his committee obtained documents that show the federal government <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/media/press-releases/federal-government-flagged-transactions-using-terms-maga-and-trump-financial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flagged</a> monetary transactions using terms associated with former President Donald Trump for financial institutions.
&#8220;We now know the federal government flagged terms like &#8216;MAGA&#8217; and &#8216;TRUMP,&#8217; to financial institutions if Americans completed transactions using those terms,&#8221; Jordan <a href="https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan/status/1747718053365010737" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X. &#8220;What was also flagged? If you bought a religious text, like a BIBLE, or shopped at Bass Pro Shop.&#8221;
In addition to being a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/watch/jordan-peterson">DailyWire+ host</a>, Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist, best-selling author, and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.
Ever since February of 2022, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trudeau-announces-unprecedented-action-freezing-bank-accounts-of-freedom-convoy-protesters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invoked</a> the Emergencies Act to freeze money to members of the &#8220;Freedom Convoy&#8221; who protested restrictive COVID-19 measures and vaccine mandates, Peterson has raised concerns about government abuse of the financial system.
When a top official said &#8220;accounts will be frozen,&#8221; Peterson <a href="https://twitter.com/jordanbpeterson/status/1494380989002489856?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> on X that it meant the government &#8220;can now steal your money with the collusion of the banks because you provided financial support to a protest against the government. If you think this is a good idea you deserve what [is] coming to you.&#8221;
Peterson continued to speak out about the controversy in posts to social media. &#8220;Your seizure of Canadian bank accounts was the worst single act of the most reprehensible government in Canadian history,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/jordanbpeterson/status/1626697575742205952?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X in February 2023.
Concerns about federal law enforcement targeting political and religious expression protected by the Constitution as well as protecting civil liberties are certain to be topics of discussion during the hearing on Thursday.
In addition to Peterson, the witnesses who are expected to attend include: Brian Knight, senior research fellow and director of Innovation and Governance at George Mason University&#8217;s Mercatus Center at George Mason University; Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom; and Norbert Michel, vice president and director of the Cato Institute&#8217;s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives.

Dr. Jordan Peterson/Jim Jordan

Jordan Peterson To Testify To Congress On Government Collusion With Banks

Jordan Peterson To Testify At Hearing on Alleged Government Collusion With Banks

Banks

Canada

First Amendment

Jordan Peterson

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

GoFundMe

January 6

MAGA

On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Republicans</a> announced they had subpoenaed Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/merrick-garland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merrick Garland</a> for materials from special counsel Robert Hur&#8217;s investigation into President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden&#8217;s</a> handling of classified documents that culminated with a report released earlier this month.
Oversight Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-comer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Comer</a> (R-KY) and Judiciary Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH) are demanding records — including transcripts, notes, video, and audio files — as part of the subpoena, according to a statement from their respective committees. NewsNation <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/house-subpoena-hur-transcripts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that they set a deadline of March 7, which is the day Biden is expected to deliver his State of the Union address.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jim_Jordan</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesComer</a> subpoena Attorney General Merrick Garland for records, including transcripts, notes, video, and audio files, related to Special Counsel Robert Hur&#39;s investigation of President Joe Biden&#39;s willful mishandling of classified information. <a href="https://t.co/S1pEOllVWl">pic.twitter.com/S1pEOllVWl</a>
&mdash; House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/1762559531564032091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The chairmen said in a subpoena <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Subpoena-Cover-Letter-to-AG-Garland_Hur-Report-Materials-Joint-Letter-2-27-24.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cover letter</a> that the Department of Justice (DOJ) failed to produce any of the materials they <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-set-deadline-for-doj-to-produce-biden-docs-probe-materials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested</a>, such as the transcripts and recordings of the special counsel’s two-day interview with the president, with a February 19 deadline.
They wrote that the DOJ responded by saying it was &#8220;working to gather and process&#8221; responsive documents, including a review for &#8220;classification&#8221; and &#8220;confidentiality interests,&#8221; but did not offer a timeframe by which it expected to make any productions or &#8220;any commitment that it would produce all of the material requested.&#8221;
Comer and Jordan noted that their panels, in coordination with the Ways and Means Committee, are leading an impeachment inquiry into Biden and speculated that the president may have retained sensitive documents related to &#8220;specific countries&#8221; involving his facility&#8217;s foreign business ventures.
They said the committees &#8220;further seek to understand whether the White House or President Biden’s personal attorneys placed any limitations or scoping restrictions during the interviews&#8221; with Hur or Biden&#8217;s ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer &#8220;precluding or addressing any potential statements directly linking President Biden to troublesome foreign payments.&#8221;
Comer and Jordan also wrote that the Judiciary Committee seeks materials for its &#8220;ongoing oversight of the Department’s commitment to impartial justice and its handling of the investigation and prosecution of President Biden’s presumptive opponent, President Donald J. Trump, in the November 2024 presidential election.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to the DOJ seeking comment.
Hur&#8217;s report criticized Biden&#8217;s retention of classified documents while out of office following his service as a U.S. senator and then vice president. Although Hur did not recommend charges, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/storage/report-from-special-counsel-robert-k-hur-february-2024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the 388-page report</a> said Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/special-counsel-biden-has-significantly-limited-memory-didnt-remember-when-he-was-vp-or-when-son-died" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exhibited memory problems</a> that likely would preclude a jury from convicting the president.
Biden delivered remarks at the White House in response to the report, insisting that his memory &#8220;is fine&#8221; just moments before <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-explodes-during-press-conference-on-his-mental-fitness-makes-several-mental-mistakes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he mistakenly said</a> Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was the president of Mexico while talking about Israel&#8217;s fight against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
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The president also criticized Hur&#8217;s assertion in the report that Biden struggled to remember when his son Beau died of brain cancer, saying, &#8220;How in the hell dare he raise that. Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself it wasn’t any of their damn business.&#8221;
NBC News then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-subverts-bidens-attack-line-against-special-counsel-hur" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published a report</a> citing sources who said Hur did not ask Biden about Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015, but rather the president brought up his son’s passing. The insiders added that Biden got the day and month correct, but not the year of Beau’s death. The younger Biden died on May 30, 2015, at the age of 46.
Hur <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/02/15/congress/house-gop-schedules-hur-interview-00141743" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may testify</a> before Congress in the coming weeks.
Two weeks ago, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1757114496319975618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">referred</a> journalists to the White House counsel when asked about releasing the transcript of Biden’s interview with Hur.

House Republicans Subpoena Garland For Biden Docs Probe Materials

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