FBI struggles to confront right-wing terrorism
5 years, 7 months ago

FBI struggles to confront right-wing terrorism

LA Times  

Members of a family place flowers at a memorial outside the Walmart at Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, where 22 people were killed by a gunman on Aug. 3. “The FBI, working with our state and local law enforcement partners,” he said, “is all over this.” But the bureau is now scrambling to investigate domestic terrorism on two fronts — a mass shooting in Gilroy, Calif., followed days later by a far more deadly attack in El Paso — appearing to undercut Wray’s assertions and raise questions about whether the FBI is doing enough to identify and stop murderous plots by home-grown fanatics with no ties to foreign terrorist organizations. A senior FBI counterterrorism official, speaking on condition of anonymity to brief reporters in May, said the bureau had recorded a “significant” rise in cases involving “racially motivated extremism” since last fall. Overall, FBI agents have arrested more suspects in domestic terrorism investigations in the last three years than in probes with an international nexus — 355 people versus 310. “We have not seen the intensity and focus on where the problem really is — right-wing radical terrorism,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

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History of this topic

FBI gives Justice details on employees who worked Jan. 6 cases, FBI agents sue
1 month, 2 weeks ago

FBI gives Justice details on employees who worked Jan. 6 cases, FBI agents sue

NPR  

FBI gives Justice details on employees who worked Jan. 6 cases, FBI agents sue toggle caption Brent Stirton/Getty Images The FBI on Tuesday handed over a list to the Justice Department of bureau employees who worked on the Jan. 6 Capitol riot investigation — but did not include the individuals' names because of security concerns, according to a person familiar …

Association representing thousands of FBI agents appeals to Congress to protect their jobs
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Association representing thousands of FBI agents appeals to Congress to protect their jobs

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The association representing thousands of FBI agents urged congressional leaders Monday to protect the jobs of employees at risk of punishment or possibly termination over their participation in investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The FBI Agents Association’s letter was sent to lawmakers of both parties, including Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and …

FBI employees questioned about involvement in Jan. 6 cases as Justice Department weighs firings
1 month, 3 weeks ago

FBI employees questioned about involvement in Jan. 6 cases as Justice Department weighs firings

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Thousands of FBI employees who participated in investigations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol are being asked to complete in-depth questionnaires about their involvement in the inquiries as the Trump administration Justice Department weighs disciplinary actions that could result in firings. The survey is in keeping with an extraordinary Justice Department directive Friday …

‘Outrageous’: FBI agents group slams Trump amid purge reports
Trending News
1 month, 3 weeks ago

‘Outrageous’: FBI agents group slams Trump amid purge reports

Raw Story  

The organization that represents more than 14,000 active and former FBI special agents called possible plans by the Trump administration to dramatically increase its purge of law enforcement agents “outrageous” — and will put the nation at risk. Pushback from the FBI Agents Association came Friday amid reports that President Donald Trump and his new administration forced out “all six …

FBI purge may affect more law enforcement than previously thought: reporter
Trending News
1 month, 3 weeks ago

FBI purge may affect more law enforcement than previously thought: reporter

Raw Story  

President Donald Trump is purging the FBI, but the number of law enforcement agents who will be fired could be more extensive than initially thought. NBC News reporter Ryan Reilly said the goal of the Trump team is to purge any FBI agent who had their hands on anything involving Jan. 6. Given the sheer number of defendants, a full …

Trump Moving To Fire FBI Agents Who Investigated Him: Report
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Trump Moving To Fire FBI Agents Who Investigated Him: Report

Huff Post  

FBI-Harassment via Associated Press WASHINGTON — Trump administration officials are moving to fire at least some of the FBI agents who participated in investigations involving President Donald Trump in the coming days, two people familiar with the plans said Friday. It would be part of a startling pattern of retribution waged on federal government employees, following the forced ousters of …

US watchdog cites FBI missteps but avoids blame in report on January 6 riot
3 months, 1 week ago

US watchdog cites FBI missteps but avoids blame in report on January 6 riot

Al Jazeera  

The FBI has faced criticism that it failed to act to prevent the deadly attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The report centres on the events of January 6, when Trump, the outgoing president at the time, held a rally near the White House calling on supporters to “stop the steal” of the 2020 election. A June …

The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
3 months, 1 week ago

The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot even though the bureau did prepare for the possibility of violence on Jan. 6, 2021, according to a watchdog report Thursday. The report from the Justice Department inspector general’s office knocks down a fringe conspiracy theory advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI …

Will Trump back the FBI’s battle against domestic extremists? He won’t say.
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Will Trump back the FBI’s battle against domestic extremists? He won’t say.

Raw Story  

Alex Jones, the notorious conspiracy-monger and MAGA propagandist, announced on his Election Day show that it was “doomsday for the globalists.” But he warned his listeners to be on the lookout for false flag attacks calculated to try to spoil candidate Donald Trump’s victory. “In 2019, we elevated racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism to be the one of our …

FBI Director Wray faces questions from lawmakers over Trump rally shooting
8 months ago

FBI Director Wray faces questions from lawmakers over Trump rally shooting

Al Jazeera  

FBI Director Christopher Wray has said the agency will leave “no stone unturned” as he faced questions from United States lawmakers about this month’s assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. During his opening statement to the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Wray said the shooting at Trump’s July 13 rally in Pennsylvania was “an attack on our democracy and …

Top FBI Official Urges Agents to Use Warrantless Wiretaps on US Soil
55 years, 2 months ago

Top FBI Official Urges Agents to Use Warrantless Wiretaps on US Soil

Wired  

A top FBI official is encouraging employees to continue to investigate Americans using a warrantless foreign surveillance program in an effort to justify the bureau’s spy powers, according to an internal email obtained by WIRED. Obtained by WIRED, an April 20 email authored by FBI deputy director Paul Abbate to employees states: “To continue to demonstrate why tools like this …

GOP and FBI are at odds as Republicans move to stop the agency’s new headquarters after Trump probes
1 year, 8 months ago

GOP and FBI are at odds as Republicans move to stop the agency’s new headquarters after Trump probes

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — When Speaker Kevin McCarthy suggested recently he might stop the FBI from relocating its downtown headquarters to a new facility planned for the Washington suburbs, it was more than idle thinking about an office renovation. “This is a pretty dramatic reversal of what the politics would have been 50 years ago,” said Beverly Gage, a historian at Yale …

FBI Director Chris Wray defends the ‘real FBI’ against criticism from House Republicans
1 year, 8 months ago

FBI Director Chris Wray defends the ‘real FBI’ against criticism from House Republicans

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — FBI Director Chris Wray defended the “real FBI” during a contentious congressional hearing Wednesday, rejecting a litany of grievances from angry Republicans who are harshly critical of the bureau, threatening to defund some operations and claiming the Justice Department is unfair to political conservatives, including Donald Trump. In testy exchanges with Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee, Wray …

FBI and DHS failing to address threat of domestic terrorism, according to new Senate report
2 years, 3 months ago

FBI and DHS failing to address threat of domestic terrorism, according to new Senate report

Raw Story  

A new investigation by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee into the rise of domestic terrorism has found that the federal government is failing to adequately address domestic terror attacks, which are predominantly perpetrated by white supremacists and anti-government extremists. Although the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have identified domestic terrorism, specifically white supremacist violence, as …

FBI: 2020 homicides up nearly 30%, largest 1-year jump ever
3 years, 5 months ago

FBI: 2020 homicides up nearly 30%, largest 1-year jump ever

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Homicides in the U.S. in 2020 increased nearly 30% over the previous year, the largest one-year jump since the FBI began keeping records, according to figures released Monday by the agency. Violent crimes in 2020 went up by a more moderate 5.6% over the previous year while property crimes continued a nearly two-decade decline, falling 7.8%. “This death …

Domestic terrorism poses an ‘elevated’ threat in 2021, intelligence report warns
4 years ago

Domestic terrorism poses an ‘elevated’ threat in 2021, intelligence report warns

LA Times  

Supporters of President Trump breached the Capitol on Jan. 6. The report said the main threat was posed by domestic extremists motivated by enduring “biases against minority populations and perceived government overreach,” echoing alarms raised by federal law enforcement officials in recent months. “The problem of domestic terrorism has been metastasizing across the country for a long time now,” Wray …

FBI Director Says Domestic Extremism ‘Metastasizing’ Around The Country
4 years ago

FBI Director Says Domestic Extremism ‘Metastasizing’ Around The Country

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING FBI Director Christopher Wray told lawmakers Tuesday that domestic extremism has been “metastasizing” around the country, saying the number of domestic terrorism investigations has grown “significantly” since he took over the agency three years ago. “The problem of domestic terrorism has been metastasizing across the country for a long time now, and it’s not going away anytime …

FBI chief warns violent ‘domestic terrorism’ growing in US
4 years ago

FBI chief warns violent ‘domestic terrorism’ growing in US

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — FBI Director Christopher Wray bluntly labeled the January riot at the U.S. Capitol as “domestic terrorism” Tuesday and warned of a rapidly growing threat of homegrown violent extremism that law enforcement is scrambling to confront through thousands of investigations. “At the FBI, we’ve been sounding the alarm on it for a number of years now.” The violence at …

FBI director says Capitol riot was ‘domestic terrorism’
4 years ago

FBI director says Capitol riot was ‘domestic terrorism’

LA Times  

FBI Director Christopher A. Wray called the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol an act of “domestic terrorism” and defended the bureau’s handling of intelligence in the days before a pro-Trump mob stormed past police and threatened the lives of lawmakers. Wray confirmed the report’s information was “raw, it was unverified.” “In a perfect world, we would have taken …

FBI director says far-right Capitol riot was ‘domestic terror’
4 years ago

FBI director says far-right Capitol riot was ‘domestic terror’

Al Jazeera  

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday accused supporters of former President Donald Trump who carried out a deadly January 6 attack on the United States Capitol of “domestic terrorism” and promised to hold them accountable as calls grow for increased measures to combat far-right violence. It’s behaviour that we, the FBI, view as domestic terrorism.” It was Wray’s first testimony …

FBI Director Testifies On Capitol Insurrection
4 years ago

FBI Director Testifies On Capitol Insurrection

NPR  

FBI Director Testifies On Capitol Insurrection FBI Director Christopher Wray is being questioned by lawmakers about the bureau's response to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and the rising threat from domestic violent extremists. Wray defended his agency's role there today and said on verified intelligence from the Norfolk, Va., office was shared with the Capitol Police. But, of …

Capitol investigators try to sort real tips from noise
4 years, 2 months ago

Capitol investigators try to sort real tips from noise

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Potential threats and leads are pouring in to law enforcement agencies nationwide after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. “There are some grammar schools that are better protected than the Capitol,” said Brian Higgins, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and the former chief of a northern New Jersey police force. …

Capitol investigators try to sort real tips from noise
4 years, 2 months ago

Capitol investigators try to sort real tips from noise

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Potential threats and leads are pouring in to law enforcement agencies nationwide after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. “There are some grammar schools that are better protected than the Capitol,” said Brian Higgins, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and the former chief of a northern New Jersey police force. …

FBI has opened more than 160 investigations against Capitol Hill rioters: Officials
4 years, 2 months ago

FBI has opened more than 160 investigations against Capitol Hill rioters: Officials

India TV News  

The FBI has opened more than 160 investigations against the January 6 Capitol Hill rioters, officials said here, and asserted this is just the tip of the iceberg. The agency has worked hand-in-hand with the United States Attorney's Office and law enforcement partners in DC and across the country to arrest and charge multiple individuals who took part in last …

FBI chief warns of Russian meddling in US elections
4 years, 6 months ago

FBI chief warns of Russian meddling in US elections

Al Jazeera  

FBI director Christopher Wray says Moscow is interfering in US elections with ‘a steady drumbeat of misinformation’. FBI Director Christopher Wray has warned that Russia is interfering in the 2020 US presidential elections with a steady stream of misinformation aimed at denigrating Democratic candidate Joe Biden as well as sapping Americans’ confidence in the election process. Regarding China, Wray said …

FBI raises neo-Nazi threat level to same as Isis
5 years, 1 month ago

FBI raises neo-Nazi threat level to same as Isis

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors …

Shooting shows challenges for FBI in probing domestic terror
5 years, 7 months ago

Shooting shows challenges for FBI in probing domestic terror

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Following two mass shootings over the weekend, President Donald Trump called on federal authorities Monday to do a better job identifying violent extremists in the U.S. “I can go online and say whatever I want, but that doesn’t mean it’s sufficient for the FBI to open an investigation,” said David Gomez, a former FBI counterterrorism supervisor. “The laws …

Attack highlights challenge of pursuing domestic extremists
5 years, 7 months ago

Attack highlights challenge of pursuing domestic extremists

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Federal authorities investigating the El Paso shooting call it an act of domestic terrorism, but they won’t be able to apply the same terrorism law that prosecutors have used for years against supporters of the Islamic State and al-Qaida. But if the shooting underscores the threat of racially based violence, it also exposes a gap in the law: …

Mass shootings highlight critical gaps in stopping domestic terrorism
5 years, 7 months ago

Mass shootings highlight critical gaps in stopping domestic terrorism

CNN  

CNN — The US has struggled to confront the rise of domestic terrorism threats, drawing concern from lawmakers and former officials that there is a lack of a cohesive strategy to deal with the problem and the limited resources available skew towards international efforts. Despite the rise in domestic cases, there is no federal charge for “domestic terrorism.” The US …

Deadly violence heightens concerns about domestic terrorism and white supremacists
5 years, 7 months ago

Deadly violence heightens concerns about domestic terrorism and white supremacists

LA Times  

Laura Miller places a stuffed bear at a memorial for those who died in the shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Evidence compiled after the Gilroy shooting seemed to include some clues: Investigators recovered extremist materials during a search of 19-year-old gunman Santino William Legan’s home in Nevada, according to one law enforcement source, and Legan had posted a photo …

FBI director to Congress: Most domestic terror cases are driven by "white supremacist violence"
5 years, 8 months ago

FBI director to Congress: Most domestic terror cases are driven by "white supremacist violence"

Salon  

FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress on Tuesday that the agency has seen an increase in the number of domestic terror arrests this fiscal year, a majority of which have been motivated by white supremacy. Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the FBI has recorded about 100 domestic terrorism arrests in the last nine months. “A majority of the …

FBI Agents And The Internet Agree: The Feds Should Call Terrorism What It Is
7 years ago

FBI Agents And The Internet Agree: The Feds Should Call Terrorism What It Is

Huff Post  

FBI agents collect evidence at a FedEx facility following an explosion at a nearby sorting center on Tuesday in Sunset Valley, Texas. “Calling it what it is is something that I believe is important,” Thomas O’Connor, a current FBI agent who has worked on domestic terrorism investigations, said in an interview earlier this year. “But when it’s a domestic terrorist, …

FBI Says It Thwarted Attempted July 4th Attack
9 years, 8 months ago

FBI Says It Thwarted Attempted July 4th Attack

NPR  

FBI Says It Thwarted Attempted July 4th Attack Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP FBI Director James Comey said authorities have arrested "more than 10 people" over the past four weeks who have been radicalized through slick electronic recruitment efforts tied to the self-proclaimed Islamic state. Another senior FBI official said the bureau believes it likely did …

FBI granted 2 more months to file Headley indictment
15 years, 4 months ago

FBI granted 2 more months to file Headley indictment

The Hindu  

Heeding the FBI’s call to grant it some more time to probe a failed LeT terror plot in India, a U.S. court has given it another two months to file indictment against David Coleman Headley, a key suspect in the case. The Chief Judge of a Chicago court, James F. Holderman, extended till January 1, 2010, the date of filing …

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