DOJ Report Alleges Biden Administration Weaponized FBI Against Parents

Attorney General Todd Blanche released a report on October 5, 2026, alleging that the Biden administration weaponized the Department of Justice to target parents who protested school policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report claims that a 2021 memorandum issued by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, prompted by the National School Boards Association, directed the FBI to investigate parents as domestic terrorists for opposing mandates, Critical Race Theory, and transgender policies.

According to the findings, the FBI opened 25 preliminary Guardian assessments, though no parents were prosecuted. The report highlights the case of Scott Smith, a parent arrested in Loudoun County, Virginia, who was later pardoned. Internal documents reveal that more than a dozen DOJ and FBI officials objected to the initiative at the time, warning it was a partisan exercise that lacked a federal basis and threatened First Amendment rights. One official suggested renaming the operation the Anti-MAGA Task Force.

To remedy these actions, the DOJ will allow targeted parents to review their files and add constitutional disclaimers to the assessments. The agency will also provide grants to train school employees on parental First Amendment rights. While the current administration uses the report to critique the 2021 policy, it was also noted that several career officials who originally opposed the Garland memo were later fired or forced out during Donald Trump's second term.