(DailyVantage.com) – The events of January 6, 2021, rocked the nation. In the aftermath, it seems the FBI has beefed up its investigations of domestic terrorism. However, the definition of the term has changed, leading to an uptick in related inquiries — nearly three times more than five years ago. To fund them, the FBI is seeking $10.8 billion in its annual budget request.
An anonymous source revealed to Newsweek that the FBI has reduced crimes against specific individuals and acts of anti-Semitism, white supremacy, LGBTQ+ discrimination, and anti-abortion stances, formally referred to as domestic terrorism, to “hate crime” classifications. Politically-motivated crimes, most notably those carried out by conservatives — MAGAs, specifically — against the government, are now considered terroristic.
This classification has made it possible for the FBI to dedicate more resources to seeking out domestic violent extremists, more than doubling the number of agents dedicated to open cases.
FBI ramps up spending to fight MAGA terrorism
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— Newsweek (@Newsweek) December 5, 2022
The FBI currently has 2,700 open cases relating to domestic terrorism. Nearly one-third of those relate to the events surrounding January 6, 2021. In August, in a statement, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the agency had “arrested and charged more than 850 individuals” in conjunction with the Capitol Hill riots. While some may see the uptick in numbers as extreme with a particular target in mind — those who support former President Donald Trump — others, like Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), believe the agencies aren’t doing enough.
Has the FBI adequately justified its pursuit of what it claims are domestic terrorism targets?
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