On NBC's Meet the Press, moderator Chuck Todd spent much of his interview Sunday with Ohio Republican Congressman Jim Jordan by arguing with him over whether the FBI was justified in targeting concerned parents who attended school board meetings. Todd even accused Jordan of "trying to create a controversy out of the FBI following up on a tip."
"You talk about the FBI abusing power when it comes to parents and the school board. School board members were getting death threats. These weren't idle things, these weren’t parents just yelling and screaming. These were actual death threats to elected officials and the FBI got a tip," Todd insisted before asking "should they not look into a death threat when an elected official gets a death threat?"
Jordan then explained to Todd what actually happened:
The school board writes a letter on September 29. Five days later the Attorney General of the United States issues a memorandum to 101 U.S. Attorneys' offices around the country saying set up this line that they can report on. 16 days later, Chuck, the FBI sends out an e-mail to agents all across the country saying put this designation on parents reported on the snitch line that the Attorney General set up. So all that happens, think about it, September 29th, October 4th, October 20th. That all happens in 22 days. When have you ever seen the federal government move that fast? 25 parents.
"There were actual death threats, Congressman. Literally—," Todd interjected.
"Chuck, let me just finish this. 25 parents get reported on that snitch line. They all get investigated. FBI shows up at their door. Guess how many have been charged? Zero," Jordan explained.
Todd kept returning to these isolated incidents of threats from a handful of parents: "You are trying to create a controversy out of the FBI following up on a tip. I mean literally. This one in Loudoun County, Virginia, school board member if she doesn't quit or resign before the end of the year we will kill her, but first we will kill you."
"Shouldn't the FBI investigate these things?" Todd asked.
Jordan then shot back about one of the most egregious examples of the FBI targeting concerned parents: "One of the people they went to investigate is a mom and they said because she’s in the group Moms for Liberty and because they have firearms at their house they go investigate her. You’re gonna investigate an American for that? They show up at your house? You don't think that has a chilling impact on other parents?"
"So there’s a school board meeting tonight. Mr. Jones is thinking about going and talking at the School board meeting and then he says you know what? Maybe I won't go, maybe I won’t speak up because I know Mrs. Smith had a visit from the FBI last week. The chilling impact on First Amendment free speech is what we care about. This committee is about protecting the constitution in particular the First Amendment," Jordan explained.
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To read the relevant transcript, click "expand":
NBC’s Meet the Press
1/29/2023
10:15:47 a.m. EasternCHUCK TODD: I want to unpack a little bit. You talk about the FBI abusing power when it comes to parents and the school board. School board members were getting death threats. These weren't idle things, these weren’t parents just yelling and screaming. These were actual death threats to elected officials and the FBI got a tip. How do they not? Should they not look into a death threat when an elected official gets a death threat?
JIM JORDAN: The school board writes a letter on September 29. Five days later the Attorney General of the United States issues a memorandum to 101 U.S. Attorneys' offices around the country saying set up this line that they can report on. 16 days later, Chuck, the FBI sends out an e-mail to agents all across the country saying put this designation on parents reported on the snitch line that the Attorney General set up. So all that happens, think about it, September 29th, October 4th, October 20th. That all happens in 22 days. When have you ever seen the federal government move that fast? 25 parents.
TODD: There were actual death threats, Congressman. Literally—
JORDAN: Chuck, let me just finish this. 25 parents get reported on that snitch line. They all get investigated. FBI shows up at their door. Guess how many have been charged? Zero.
TODD: Then the FBI did its job. Did the FBI not do its job? If they were trumping something up wouldn't they be arresting somebody?
[crosstalk]
TODD: You are trying to create a controversy out of the FBI following up on a tip. I mean literally. This one in Loudoun County, Virginia, school board member if she doesn't quit or resign before the end of the year we will kill her, but first we will kill you. These were among the comments. In Dublin, Ohio, school board member you have become our enemies. You will be removed one way or the other. Shouldn't the FBI investigate these things?
JORDAN: One of the people they went to investigate is a mom and they said because she’s in the group Moms for Liberty and because they have firearms at their house they go investigate her. You’re gonna investigate an American for that? They show up at your house? You don't think that has a chilling impact on other parents?
So there’s a school board meeting tonight. Mr. Jones is thinking about going and talking at the School board meeting and then he says you know what? Maybe I won't go, maybe I won’t speak up because I know Mrs. Smith had a visit from the FBI last week. The chilling impact on First Amendment free speech is what we care about. This committee is about protecting the constitution in particular the First Amendment.
