WASHINGTON, D.C.— In today’s House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Hearing on World Wide Threats, Congressman Mike Turner (OH-10) questioned FBI Director Christopher Wray on Antifa's organizational structure and resourcing, including sources of funding, training and logistics support. Recent reports indicate that members of Antifa traveled to Minnesota to participate in ongoing protests that have resulted in property damage to businesses and multiple injuries.
In the hearing today, Rep. Turner pressed Director Wray on his characterization of Antifa, after Wray’s previous comments characterized Antifa as not an organization, but rather as self-radicalized, “lone actors.”
“Director Wray, you have previously testified, have you not, that Antifa is not a group or organization, is that your testimony today?”
Wray responded, “We consider Antifa to be more of a movement,” and claimed most activity is conducted through. "local and regional nodes," rather than by one organization. He also could not confirm orchestrated financial backing that would support training and deployment of Antifa followers across the country.
In response to Wray’s non-answers, Rep. Mike Turner stated:
“If you travel across the country to perpetrate violence you become local where you perpetrate the violence?”
“People have seen with their own eyes the reports across the country and your testimony does not comport to what the American public are actually seeing, and it weakens their confidence.”
Following the hearing, Turner called on the FBI to further investigate Antifa and report to Congress on their source of funding, training, and activities.
“FBI Director Wray’s testimony is disturbing and contradicts what the American people have seen with their own eyes—a violent and dangerous organization. I call on the FBI to further investigate Antifa and report to Congress on their source of funding, training, and activities. With continued violence in Minneapolis, Seattle and Portland, downplaying this dangerous organization only puts American communities at further risk,” said Turner.
In 2020, FBI Director Christopher Wray explained to Congress that Antifa is not an organization but an ideology. Wray told lawmakers at the House Homeland Security Committee hearing on worldwide threats that the greatest threat to the homeland, “is not one organization, certainly not one ideology, but rather lone actors, largely self-radicalized online, who pursue soft targets using readily accessible weapons.”
Watch Rep. Turner's questioning here