Rep. Jim Jordan is a key House Republican Chairman. He subpoenaed 3 people Monday to continue his investigation into whether federal authorities are investigating parents for protesting at school board meetings or infringing upon free speech.

Jordan of Ohio, head of the Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Chip Slaven (ex-CEO of the National School Boards Association, NSBA), and Viola Garcia (ex-president of NSBA).

Jordan also subpoenaed Nina Jankowicz (the former executive director of Department of Homeland Security’s disbanded Disinformation Governance Board), which was disbanded last spring after Republicans raised concerns about violating First Amendment rights.

Slaven, Garcia and Joe Biden wrote to each other in September 2021. They stated that school boards were “under immediate threat” and asked for law enforcement to address the “growing number” of threats and intimidation in response to COVID-19 restrictions. In October 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland sent a memo to the FBI and U.S. lawyers about the “disturbing rise in harassment and intimidation of school officials”.

Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray repeatedly testified that they did not target parents who voiced concerns at school board meetings but instead focused on violent incidents or threats of violence.

The Jordan subpoenas represent the latest in a wide-ranging House Republican investigation of the Biden administration. They also include previous subpoenas to Education Department and the FBI about the school board memo.

Jordan is concerned about investigations into school boards.

Jordan raised concerns that the Justice Department might misuse its criminal and antiterrorism resources to investigate parents protesting at school board meetings about curriculum and policies.

Jordan claimed that FBI whistleblowers revealed that the FBI had created a “threattag” to categorize cases and investigated at most 25 incidents using the letter from the school board.

The 316-page report by Democrats on the panel last week revealed that the whistleblowers were paid by former administration officials. It also did not disclose any misconduct at the agency.

What has the FBI and Education Department stated?

Wray and Garland both disputed the Republican interpretation. Garland stated that he would offer federal assistance to local authorities in the event of violence or threats to violence.

Garland stated to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he had not spoken with the FBI about parents in October 2021.

Last week, the FBI released a statement at its deadline to subpoena documents regarding school boards. It stated that it was committed cooperating with Congress.

The statement stated that Director Wray and other FBI officers have made it clear on multiple occasions before Congress and elsewhere that the FBI has never been involved in investigating or policing speech at school boards meetings or elsewhere. “Our primary concern is and will always be protecting people from violence and threats to violence.”

Jankowicz was subpoenaed.

Jordan stated that his panel is currently investigating Jankowicz in order to find out why the Disinformation Governance Board was established and what it did prior to being disbanded. He wants to know how the board was going to define disinformation and how it would collect information from which sources.

Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security Secretary, announced the creation and launch of the board in April 2022. He said it would expose Russian disinformation as well as false claims that encourage peoples to move to the U.S. border with Mexico.

After weeks of criticisms from Republicans and questions as to whether the board would violate free speech rights, the Department of Homeland Security decided to suspend the effort in May 2022.

Jordan stated that the subpoenas were issued in response to Jan. 27 requests to Garcia and Slaven for voluntary, transcribed interviews. Jordan stated that Jankowicz was contacted May 5, Jan. 27, February 16 and March 1.