This directive lowered the threshold for opening FBI inquiries, replacing the long-standing requirement of an “articulable factual basis” of criminal activity or national-security threats.
The previously classified “Strategic Implementation Plan for Countering Domestic Terrorism” was fully unredacted and declassified by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, exposing instructions that critics say cast a broad net over constitutionally protected activity.
Under the plan, the Justice Department and FBI were told to pursue individuals deemed at risk of “domestic terrorism,” including active-duty military personnel, firearms owners and those spreading “xenophobic” or COVID-19-related “disinformation.”
In a breaking announcement on Just the News, Editor in Chief John Solomon detailed how the directive empowered agents to “drive…executive and legislative action” on assault-weapon bans, high-capacity magazine restrictions, “ghost gun” controls and red-flag laws—all under the rubric of counterterrorism.
Legal experts warn the memo eroded long-standing safeguards. For decades, FBI guidelines prohibited investigations without a clear predicate indicating a crime or imminent threat. By replacing that standard with vague “concerning” conduct, the administration effectively authorized probes of peaceful parents, religious Catholics and other conservatives merely exercising First and Second Amendment rights.
“It’s spying on Americans, violating the Fourth Amendment,” asserted Representative Andy Biggs, who has called on new FBI leadership to rescind the guidance and remove any agents operating under it.
The memo also singled out conservative-aligned symbols—such as the Gadsden flag, Betsy Ross flag and pro-Second Amendment messages—as potential “domestic terrorism iconography,” raising concerns about ideological bias.
Crime Prevention Research Center president John Lott noted that the document included no equivalent references to left-wing imagery, suggesting an uneven focus on conservative communities.
Whistleblowers say these policies were weaponized against pro-life Catholics and outraged parents .
FBI agent Garrett O’Boyle testified that he was ordered to investigate a pro-life informant for alleged threats against Supreme Court justices following the overturning of Roe v. Wade—despite no evidence of violent intent.
A separate internal “Catholic Memo” directed the bureau to cultivate informants and infiltrate traditional Catholic congregations on the premise they might incubate extremist ideology.
Beyond iconography, the domestic-terrorism strategy linked disinformation to violence, prompting Homeland Security, the State Department and USAID to fund “digital literacy” programs and cooperate with foreign partners to counter online content judged extremist.
The plan also fully embraced provisions of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, including grants for “hate crime reporting hotlines,” as part of its counterterrorism toolkit.
With bipartisan alarm over potential civil-liberties violations, lawmakers are demanding clarity and accountability.
Representative Biggs has urged FBI Director Kash Patel to ensure any agents still following the June 2021 directives be reassigned or terminated, warning that without a proper factual predicate, no American should face intrusive surveillance for lawful political or religious expression.