Oversight Request: Chilling Lawful Protest & Federal Power Abuse

URGENT: Stop DOJ Abuse of Power & Illegal Use of Armed Force Against Protest What we are witnessing is a dangerous and escalating pattern of abuse of federal power that demands immediate congressional oversight. Senior executive officials — including Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi — made public statements on January 22, 2026, framing the arrests of civil rights activists in Minnesota before any indictment, publicly narrating and politicizing an ongoing investigation into a protest at a church in St. Paul. These statements risk tainting investigations, prejudicing potential juries, and chilling lawful First Amendment activity nationwide. This pattern is not isolated. In Washington, DC, peaceful protests that take place on Sundays outside Christ Kirk / Christ Church have repeatedly been met with aggressive police conduct, including physical assault, threats of arrest, and intimidation of protesters engaged in protected speech on public sidewalks. Despite this, church-affiliated leaders have publicly called for mass prosecution of protesters “to send a message,” while federal officials have announced investigations under civil-rights statutes rather than addressing police conduct. These concerns are further heightened by public remarks from DOJ Civil Rights Division leadership, including Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, publicly condemning the protest activity while simultaneously announcing investigations under federal civil-rights statutes prior to any charging decisions. At the same time, protesters nationwide are being threatened with prosecution under the FACE Act and the Ku Klux Klan Act—statutes that do not criminalize speech, dissent, or peaceful protest. Public condemnation and investigative signaling by DOJ officials further amplify the chilling effect on lawful First Amendment activity. This abuse escalated into unlawful force. On Friday, January 16, 2026, a peaceful protest at the Heritage Foundation was met with an illegal and grossly disproportionate deployment of more than a dozen National Guard members and multiple DC Metropolitan Police vehicles. No lawful basis has been publicly identified for deploying the National Guard against civilians engaged in protected speech. That deployment occurred during a press conference hosted by the Heritage Foundation—a 501(c)(3) organization—featuring foreign political figure María Corina Machado. Mary Vought, Director of Communications at the Heritage Foundation and wife of Russ Vought—Director of the Office of Management and Budget and Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau—was present and involved. Tax-exempt organizations are prohibited from engaging in partisan political activity, yet public armed force was used to shield a political event. I am not asking Congress to interfere with any prosecution. I am demanding oversight. Please act immediately to: • Investigate DOJ officials’ public commentary that risks tainting investigations and trials • Halt the selective and politicized invocation of the FACE Act and Ku Klux Klan Act • Investigate police assaults and threats against protesters at recurring Sunday protests in Washington, DC • Investigate the unlawful deployment of the National Guard and use of DC MPD against peaceful protesters • Determine who authorized these deployments, under what legal authority, and at whose request • Review 501(c)(3) compliance when tax-exempt organizations host political figures protected by public armed force • Issue guidance to prevent viewpoint discrimination and the chilling of lawful protest Civil-rights laws exist to protect the public—not to silence dissent or shield politically connected actors. Congress must act now before this abuse becomes precedent.