This Should Terrify Every American: DOJ Harasses Citizens for Exercising Their First Amendment Rights

PJ Media ^ | 09/21/2022 | HANS A. VON SPAKOVSKY

[SeekAndFind]

The Justice Department has hit the Eagle Forum of Alabama with a voluminous subpoena that violates the organization’s First Amendment rights to speak freely, engage in the political process, and talk to their elected representatives. It’s an intimidation tactic, pure and simple, and shows just how partisan the department has become. This out-of-control behavior should scare every citizen and volunteer organization, no matter where they stand on the political or social spectrum.

Eagle Forum is a very small non-profit in Alabama. It only has one full-time employee and a second, part-time employee. Virtually all of its work on issues of interest to its members is done by volunteers. It is the quintessential, uniquely American grassroots membership organization that French historian Alexis de Tocqueville lauded in Democracy in America.

As the Eagle Forum’s motion to quash the government subpoena says, one of the issues its members have been concerned over is “gender-altering medical treatment to minors” and the “permanent and adverse effects of such medical procedures on those minors.” Those serious, lifelong effects deeply concern many physicians and parents.

Members of the Eagle Forum made their worries known by doing things every American has an absolute right to do: they spoke out, made speeches, organized meetings, talked to other residents and organizations in the state, and contacted their elected state representatives. In other words, they exercised their constitutional rights to engage in “freedom of speech,” to “peaceably assemble,” and “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” They also exercised their right to associate, recognized by the Supreme Court as implicit under the Fourteenth Amendment.

None of these activities should trigger stalking by Justice Department lawyers. So how has this come about?

[SeekAndFind]

Earlier this year, the Alabama legislature passed the Alabama Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, which became effective on May 8. It bans puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgery to alter the biological sex of a minor. A huge number of left-wing advocacy organizations immediately sued the state, and the U.S. Justice Department intervened in the lawsuit, echoing their claims that the new Alabama law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

[SeekAndFind]

The Eagle Forum is not a party to the lawsuit. Yet the Justice Department has served what is referred to as a third-party subpoena on the Eagle Forum. This subpoena outrageously demands that the Eagle Forum and its members turn over all:

• information and communications it has or engaged in over the law and any predecessor bills;
• materials that were considered by the Forum connected to the legislation or any draft or model bills;
• documents concerning the Forum’s “legislative or policy goals, initiatives, and/or strategies relating to medical care or treatment of transgender minors, or minors with gender dysphoria”;
• communications with—and testimony, letters, reports, etc., sent to—state legislators or their staff; and any other government agencies and officials in Alabama over the legislation;
• communications with any other nongovernmental organizations over the legislation;
• internal minutes and records of meetings, polling and public opinion data, video presentations and speeches, newsletters and emails, and social media postings related to the legislation.

In other words, the Justice Department wants to turn the Eagle Forum inside out, forcing it to turn over its records on everything it does. This would let government lawyers paw through and scrutinize everything, including privileged communications and even personal discussions and communications with other private citizens and nonprofit organizations.

[M Kehoe]

Unfortunately, Orwell was a prophet. Just got the date wrong.

5.56mm

[Jim W N]

When the government is afraid of the people, you have freedom.

When the people are afraid of the government, you have tyranny.

[Monterrosa-24]

Trump needs to speak about this. Other allied conservative groups like Judicial Watch and Accuracy in Media need to finance some good lawyers that can cause DOJ some headaches.

[Striperman]

Can they fight this or have to comply right away?

[allendale]

This is why decent, rational people do not take unsolicited calls from strangers purporting to be pollsters and then go on to discuss their political beliefs and preferences. That data would find its way on a government data base. Soon a visit from the FBI, difficulty finding employment or even banking services will follow.

Decent, rational people are underrepresented in polls.

BTW it would be nice if the Eagle Forum could personally sue the government individuals who violated their constitutional rights.

[dsrtsage]

They can always post their grievances on facebook or twitter…oh wait

[ClearCase_guy]

“Your use of the printing press offends The Crown. Our soldiers will arrive soon to arrest you. You will recognize them by their red coats and their FBI hats.”

[GaryCrow]

The January 6 Capitol protest was exactly what the First Amendment was designed to protect yet how many political prisoners are in jail now for exercising their First Amendment rights?

It should be obvious by now that we’re currently living under a rogue government that is actively suppressing our constitutional freedoms.

[sjmjax]

Where is the ACLU?
Oh, never mind. The “right” people are being persecuted.

[circlecity]

“ Can they fight this or have to comply right away?”

I believe they have filed a motion to quash the subpoena.

[Vigilanteman]

One of the few things Mitch McConnell ever got right was making sure that debate or a vote for the Merrick Garland nomination to the supreme court was never scheduled.

[George from New England]

We can’t talk Eagle Forum without recognizing the martyr Nancy Shaefer. She was the ‘top-dog’ at Georgia’s Eagle forum, targeting child services corruption when she and her husband were MURDERED back in 2010.

https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/nancy-shaefer-conservative-activist-killed/

[E. Pluribus Unum]

This is exactly what they are doing to Alex Jones.

He was the proof-of-concept for de-platforming from the Internet.

The Sandy Hook trials are the proof-of-concept of a weaponized judiciary.

Everybody is on the menu after it works on Alex.

[Tudorfly]

Thanks to demoncrats and the Justice Dept, we live in a Banana Republic.

[BlackbirdSST]

Unfortunately, Orwell was a prophet. Just got the date wrong.

It's 1984 somewhere, every single day. It's like the never ending story.

[consult]

Hope they can get someone to countersue to DOJ.

[L,TOWM]

And the subpoena should be responded to with a few reams of paper alternating with pages of a quote of the 5th & 1st amendments and the next page with a picture of an upraised tall finger... About 20 cases of copier paper worth should get the message even to the DoJ a-holes

[Brian Griffin]

I suspect some outspoken parents faced hatred due to their hatred of Amendment II.

When you enter the political arena, expect to be knocked about.

Trump is a prime example of how hard one can get hit.