Biden Admin Takes Aim At Conservatives With This TROUBLING Initiative

The controversial documents were shared exclusively with Fox News Digital.

According to these documents, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program created to combat terrorism is being accused of allocating taxpayer money to an organization that seems to target the American political right. The MRC argued that its findings are substantial enough to warrant criminal prosecution.

Brent Bozell, founder and President of the Media Research Center, stated, "This terrorism task force is engaged in an active effort to demonize and eliminate Christian, conservative, and Republican organizations using federal taxpayer dollars. What we have uncovered calls for criminal prosecution. The American people need to know those who are abusing their positions in the federal government will be held accountable for their criminal behavior."

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The program in question, DHS's Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program (TVTP) distributes funds to a range of public, private, and non-profit institutions to help prevent targeted violence and terrorism. The TVTP was expanded and updated under the Biden administration with a heightened focus on violent extremism and white supremacy.

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May 25, 2023

The University of Dayton received a TVTP grant of $352,109 for its PREVENTS-OH program. The program is designed to tap into the expertise of the university's faculty to combat "domestic violence extremism and hate movements." However, the university's grant application to DHS included a link to a contentious conference where a "Pyramid of Far-Right Radicalization" was presented. This pyramid featured the Republican Party, the Heritage Foundation, Fox News, Breitbart News, the American Conservative Union, and other conservative and Christian groups alongside neo-Nazi and hate groups.

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The MRC reported that a speaker at the seminar, University of Cincinnati researcher Michael Loadenthal, presented the pyramid as an accurate depiction of the "modern far-right" and extremism in America. Further, the MRC pointed out that another speaker at the same seminar, Rutgers University faculty member Alexander Hinton, likened the Trump administration to the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.

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DHS defended its grant to the University of Dayton, stating that the seminar was not funded, organized, or hosted by DHS. It rejected the accusation of supporting any form of discrimination. A DHS spokesperson said, "DHS does not profile, target, or discriminate against any individual for exercising their constitutional rights protected by the First Amendment."

The University of Dayton also distanced the seminar from the PREVENTS-OH program. However, the university's grant application to DHS included a link to the contentious workshop, describing it as representative of its work to prevent violent extremism.

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These revelations have sparked a controversy over the perceived misuse of federal funds, with the Media Research Center calling for an investigation and criminal prosecution in a letter sent to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of both the House Judiciary Committee and the newly established Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.

TVTP was initially introduced by the Obama administration, halted under the Trump administration, and then revived under President Biden. Since its initiation, the program has distributed 80 grants to nearly $40 million. It empowers local groups, such as police departments, universities, and non-profits, to prevent domestic "violent extremism."

However, the MRC's report alleges that TVTP grants are another instance of the Biden administration leveraging taxpayer dollars against political opponents. MRC Vice President Dan Schneider said, "On the heels of the Durham report, we now have evidence that the Biden administration is ratcheting up its anti-American targeting of Christians, conservatives, and Republicans. This is disgusting and criminal..."

The Media Research Center (MRC), a conservative watchdog group, has voiced concerns about taxpayer money being funneled through a government anti-terrorism grant initiative to a university program categorizing Republican Party, Christian, and conservative groups in the same bracket as Nazis. According to documents exclusively shared with Fox News Digital, the MRC calls for criminal prosecution on these grounds.

Brent Bozell, founder and President of the Media Research Center, articulated his concerns about the funding decisions made by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). "This terrorism task force is engaged in an active effort to demonize and eliminate Christian, conservative, and Republican organizations using federal taxpayer dollars," Bozell stated. He believes their discovery warrants legal action, saying, "What we have uncovered calls for criminal prosecution. The American people need to know those who are abusing their positions in the federal government will be held accountable for their criminal behavior."

The DHS's Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program (TVTP) was designed to empower public, private, and non-profit organizations, including universities and county governments, to establish or enhance strategies to counteract targeted violence and terrorism. Applicants must be US-based and implement their programs within the country.

DHS records show that the Biden administration has distributed 80 grants through TVTP, nearly $40 million. The grants varied in size, ranging from $85,000 to over $1.1 million, with a median of roughly $442,000. The DHS prohibits recipients from engaging in viewpoint discrimination as part of the grant terms.

A significant change in focus toward violent extremism and white supremacy came about under the Biden administration, which widened the scope of TVTP, a program initiated by the Obama administration. Under Biden's leadership, DHS listed "media literacy and online critical thinking initiatives" as one of the key objectives of TVTP, and many grantees adopted this mission for their projects.

One of the grantees, the University of Dayton, received $352,109 from the DHS for their PREVENTS-OH program, a scheme designed to tap into the knowledge base of the University of Dayton faculty to combat "domestic violence extremism and hate movements."

Documents related to the university's grant application linked to a contentious conference in Dayton, where an academic researcher shared a "Pyramid of Far-Right Radicalization," which controversially included the Republican Party, the Heritage Foundation, Fox News, and the Christian Broadcasting Network among others. These entities were listed alongside recognized hate groups like The Base, a neo-Nazi paramilitary group, drawing unsettling parallels.

Furthermore, the University of Dayton organized a seminar titled "Extremism, Rhetoric, and Democratic Precarity" in 2021, during which several extremism experts equated mainstream conservatives to genocidal extremists. Video content from this seminar was included in the university's grant application to DHS to represent their work in evaluating regional needs for violent extremism prevention.

However, DHS and the University of Dayton have refuted claims of discrimination. A DHS spokesperson stated that neither the controversial seminar nor the chart featured in it was funded, organized, or endorsed by the DHS and that the department does not support any form of discrimination. Similarly, the University of Dayton clarified that the seminar was not affiliated with the PREVENTS-OH program.

The Media Research Center, however, remains firm in its contention. In a letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, they demanded an investigation into the matter and criminal prosecution for those involved. Their letter states, "The American people need to know that those who are abusing their positions in the federal government will be held accountable for this criminal behavior."

TVTP's origins can be traced back to the Obama administration, which launched a plan in 2011 titled "Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States," as part of an effort to enhance engagement with local communities to counter radicalization efforts. However, it has evolved and taken on a different focus under different administrations.

President Biden's administration has been vocal about addressing domestic terrorism, mainly white supremacists and extremists. The shift has garnered support from some quarters but also sparked criticism and concerns over possible First Amendment violations and potential political bias.

In their letter to Rep. Jordan, the Media Research Center questioned the basis of the grants, stating, "Given the proven far-left bias of academia, there are valid concerns over how these government funds are being allocated. How does the DHS intend to ensure there is no viewpoint discrimination?"

Rep. Jordan, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, has yet to comment on the allegations brought forward by the MRC. His office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Meanwhile, civil liberties advocates have warned against possible 'mission creep' from the DHS in its attempts to confront domestic terrorism. According to them, there needs to be transparency and accountability in allocating and using such grants.

In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) mentioned that "the government's broad and vague definitions of 'terrorism' and 'extremism' could be exploited to target specific communities based on their political views or religion."

The controversy surrounding the allocation of TVTP funds underscores the delicate balance that needs to be maintained while addressing domestic terrorism and violent extremism. It also highlights the essential need for transparency and neutrality in government initiatives, particularly in an era where the ideological divide appears to widen in society.

As this debate continues, it is clear that establishing the line between extremism and mainstream political views will remain a contentious issue in American society. The current challenge, therefore, lies not just in combating domestic terrorism but in doing so in a manner that preserves the foundational principles of free speech and expression, as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.