AP Photo/Esteban Felix
Republican lawmakers are demanding hearings on the funding sources of the violent demonstrations occurring across the country. As the unrest continues in cities like Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, WA, conservatives have questioned how anarchist groups affiliated with Antifa have funded their operations.
GOP lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee are demanding that Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) hold hearings on the individuals and entities funding the riots and looting on Friday. In a letter addressed to the chairman, Republican representatives stated that failing to look into the riots’ funding is “an abdication of responsibility.”
The document pointed out that Congress has taken no action to protect Americans from groups like Antifa. “This committee has failed to engage substantial oversight of the forces behind these organized riots,” they wrote. “Instead, we have spent our limited time conducting partisan committee business that does not help us advance safety and prosperity for the American people.”
The letter continued, “We urge you to accept that Antifa and other domestic extremist groups pose a real threat to our communities and to call hearings to investigate the funding sources of these riots.”
Republicans have been calling for hearings on the matter since the unrest began shortly after the death of George Floyd. But so far, the chairman seems uninterested in pursuing this type of action.
It is worth noting that the Democrats’ reticence to examine the people behind the riots does not necessarily mean that the matter isn’t being investigated. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf stated that the agency is looking into the entities that are funding the unrest in an appearance of Fox News.
During a conversation with host Tucker Carlson, Wolf explained that Homeland Security is “targeting and investigating the head of these organizations [and] the individuals that are paying for these individuals to move across the country.” He continued, “We have seen groups and individuals move from Portland to other parts of the country.”
In July, Rep. Nadler indicated that he has no interest in investigating groups like Antifa, claiming that the far-leftist movement is “a myth.” However, Nadler and most of his colleagues likely know that the movement is far from being a myth. Indeed, it is more likely that they know that hearings might expose some critical allies and others who may be sympathetic to their cause. Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday refused to condemn Antifa by name, claiming that it is only an “ideology.”
Despite the Democrats’ protestations, it is clear that anarchist groups cause wanton discord in cities across the nation. Moreover, one can easily tell from the footage that the individuals engaging in the pandemonium are not regular civilians who are angry over police brutality.
Recently, a photojournalist infiltrated these groups, expecting to find white supremacist agitators. Instead, he discovered anarchists using these riots to push their dystopian ideals on the rest of the nation.
The Democrats may be afraid to take Antifa seriously. Still, if Wolf’s team is investigating the matter, perhaps more information regarding the funding these groups receive will come to light.
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