DOJ Emails Show Garland Memo Sparked an ‘Anti-MAGA Task Force’ Revolt
Freshly released emails are giving a behind-the-scenes look at the blowup inside the Justice Department over Merrick Garland’s 2021 memo aimed at school board threats. What was sold as a response to harassment and intimidation ended up setting off a sharp internal fight, with some senior officials warning the move could backfire badly and look like a political hit job.
The memo came as parents across the country were showing up at school board meetings furious about COVID-era school rules, plus what their kids were being taught about race and gender. The National Association for School Boards had asked the Biden administration for help, even claiming some angry parent behavior could qualify as “domestic terrorism.” That request helped trigger the DOJ response.
But the internal emails tell a different story than the public rollout. One deputy assistant attorney general wrote, “I don’t think it’s possible to state how strongly I object to this. It will completely and totally nuke our election threats efforts, and will damage the reputation of the Public Integrity Section into the bargain,” They added, “It’s like they’ve affirmatively trying to make this thing not work and look political.”
That same official went even further, saying, “If they do this, they might as well rename the damn thing the Anti-MAGA Task Force.”
The response from the Public Integrity Section chief was just as blunt: “Exactly!” and then, “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
Other DOJ officials also questioned whether the department even had the authority to get involved the way Garland wanted. One principal deputy assistant attorney general wrote, “We will not do this,” before adding, “There is no conceivable connection to [public integrity] (indeed, I’m not seeing a federal interest of any kind.). And if they’re going to make the AG’s memo to the field about this and election threats, I’m going to strongly recommend that they not send it.”
The Public Integrity section chief also warned the memo could turn the Justice Department and the FBI into the “threat police” and said it had “no limiting principle at all.”
The politics around the memo turned ugly fast. After major backlash from GOP lawmakers, state officials, pundits, and parents’ groups, the NSBA apologized for its letter to the Biden administration. “On behalf of NSBA, we regret and apologize for the letter,” the group wrote. “There was no justification for some of the language included in the letter. We should have had a better process in place to allow for consultation on a communication of this significance. We apologize also for the strain and stress this situation has caused you and your organizations.”
Garland never backed down. When pressed to retract the memo or apologize, he defended it instead. “The obligation of the Justice Department is to protect the American people against violence and threats of violence and that particularly includes public officials,” he said.
The DOJ and Garland did not respond to requests for comment. But the emails now make one thing clear: not everyone inside the department thought this was a wise move. Some thought it was a mistake from the start. And they said so in plain English.