Thread by @jseldin

Waring from @SenatorDurbin to open Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on "The Domestic Terrorism Threat One Year After January 6"

"Whether boosters of of the 'Big Lie' know it or not, they are playing with fire..."

"...By supporting the false narrative that the 2020 election was somehow stolen or rigged, they have rationalized the worst assault on our Capitol since the War of 1812" per @SenatorDurbin "And, in turn, they are normalizing the use of violence to achieve political goals..."

"Congress, this is how democracies die"per @SenatorDurbin

Equally stern warning from Senate Judiciary top Republican @ChuckGrassley, says "anti-police riots rocked our nations for 7 full months, just like the January 6th riot rocked the nation"

Says the were +14,000 arrests, +500 domestic terror investigation by @FBI & 2,000 police inj

"Today, attacks continue on the good names of police who dealt w/an impossible situation" per @ChuckGrassley

"Is it any wonder then that when it came time to secure the Capitol on Jan 6 some were too concerned abt optics?"

"From the tie anti-police riot broke out over 18 mos ago, the police have retreated from the streets & the results have been very predictable" per @ChuckGrassley citing spike in murders, record murders in a dozen cities

.@ChuckGrassley criticizes @POTUS' domestic terrorism strategy - "made no mention whatsoever of the 2020 riots though they comprise abt a fifth to a quarter of the @FBI's domestic terrorism cases"

"The threat posed by domestic terrorism is one the rise" @TheJusticeDept Asst Atty General Matt Olsen tells lawmakers as testimony begins

"The number of @FBI investigations over the past 2 years, since March 2020, have more than doubled"

"Based on the assessment of the intelligence community, we face an elevated threat from domestic violent extremists" per @TheJusticeDept's Olsen

"We've seen a growing threat from those who are motivated by racial animus as well as those who ascribe to extremist anti-gvt & anti authority ideologies" per @TheJusticeDept's Olsen

.@TheJusticeDept's Olsen says he has established a domestic terrorism unit at DOJ "helping to ensure that these cases are handled properly & effectively"

"While there is no single, federal crime that's labeled domestic terrorism the criminal code does define domestic terrorism & this definition provides us w/expanded authorities" per @TheJusticeDept's Olsen

"It goes with out saying that the threat posed by domestic violent extremists is persistent & evolving" per @FBI Exec Asst Dir Jill Sanborn "But this does not mean we have forgotten abt the threat from foreign terrorist organizations such as #ISIS or #alQaida"

"The greatest terrorism threat facing the #UnitedStates today remains that posed by lone actors or small cells who typically radicalize online & look to use easily accessible weapons to attack soft targets" per @FBI's Sanborn

.@FBI's Sanborn says that include Homegrown Violent Extremists, inspired by foreign terror groups, and Domestic Violent Extremists

"We assess that racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists advocating for the superiority of the white race & anti-gvt or anti-authority violent extremists, specifically militia violent extremists, present the most lethal threat" per @FBI's Sanborn

"Racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists are most likely to conduct mass casualty attacks against civilians, & militia violent extremists typically target law enforcement & gvt personnel & facilities" per @FBI's Sanborn

In 2021 domestic violent extremists conducted 4 attacks w/13 deaths per @FBI's Sanborn

"Many domestic violent extremists also plotted to conduct attacks due to personalized grievances, including anger at gvt responses to #COVID19, immigration policies & perceived election fraud"

"Looking forward, we assess domestic violent extremists reactions to socio-political events & conditions will continue to drive the treat of violence in 2022" per @FBI's Sanborn

"We assess racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists & anti-gvt or anti-authority violent extremists will continue to pose the most serious threats" per @FBI's Sanborn

"As such, the FBI has prioritized anti-gvt or authority violent extremism to be commensurate w/the threat posed by homegrown violent extremism, #ISIS & racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism" per @FBI's Sanborn

"We must speak with one voice in condemning violence like what we saw on January 6" per @TheJusticeDept's Olsen

Says DOJ will prosecute all those who commit violence regardless of ideology

"A very personalized mobilization is often behind what pushes somebody to go out & conduct whatever act they're about ready to undertake" per @FBI's Sanborn

Says FBI & Nat'l Counterterrorism Center just published guidelines on indicators of mobilization"to get ahead of that"

"We want to teach ppl to pay attention to human behavior & become alarmed & alerted when itlloks like somebody's mobilizing" per @FBI's Sanborn "We have found that is very successful on the IT side..."

.@ChuckGrassley asks @TheJusticeDept's Olsen abt "policing matters of local school boards"

"There has been an increase in violence * threats of violence against individuals who serve in positions of public trust-school board members, teachers, other public officials" per Olsen

"This is a serious concern" per @TheJusticeDept's Olsen, who says DOJ's Nat'l Security Division is playing an advisory role, to support the rest of the department

"It's certainly not a particular focus for the Nat'l Security Division..."

"I would echo that this is not a particular focus for the counterterrorism division & nothing has changed in ur authorities, our policies" per @FBI's Sanborn

"A violation of federal law would have to be at the heart here for us to get involved"

Asked about 2020 riots, @FBI's Sanborn says the bureau has opened "slightly more than 800 cases" though she describes the riots as taking place "around the peaceful protests"

More than 250 arrests so far, she adds