Rep. Hageman Corners DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Free Speech Using MRC Research

July 26th, 2023 6:05 PM

A fired-up Rep. Harriet M. Hageman (R-WY) pressed Biden’s DHS Secretary on an infamous taxpayer-funded program seeking to destroy the conservative movement.

The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the "Oversight of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security" on July 26. Members of the committee grilled DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on numerous issues, including Biden’s border chaos and national security issues. House Oversight Committee Member Rep. Hageman blasted the Biden administration’s Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention. MRC Free Speech America exposed the outrageous taxpayer-funded program for its targeting of Christians, conservatives and Republicans by associating them with neo-Nazis and other hate groups.

Hageman pressed Mayorkas, for the first time, over the weaponization of the taxpayer-funded program. Specifically, Hageman asked, “Secretary Mayorkas, does the affiliation with conservative or Christian beliefs make someone a Nazi or a domestic terrorist?” A seemingly dismissive Mayorkas answered, "Of course, not,” to which Hageman responded, “Then if that's so, why is your agency targeting Americans who are Christians and conservatives?”

However, Mayorkas’s attempt to deny his agency’s full-fledged war against conservatives directly contradicts his actions. “Congresswoman Hageman got Mayorkas to disavow the DHS grantee, but words alone are meaningless. Mayorkas has done nothing to terminate the grant and even worse has allowed other grantees to continue targeting conservatives,” said MRC Free Speech America VP Dan Schneider

In its grant application, the University of Dayton, one of the DHS beneficiaries, used a presentation during which presenters drew disturbing comparisons between prominent Republican leaders to genocidal dictators. In turn, DHS granted $352,109 to the university to launch PREVENTS-OH. One University of Dayton-hosted seminar featured a presentation from self-proclaimed Antifa member Michael Loadenthal, a professor at the University of Cincinnati, who recklessly associated prominent conservative organizations with neo-Nazis and other hateful groups. Notably, The Heritage Foundation, the American Conservative Union and the Christian Broadcasting Network were among the groups targeted.

Hageman asked, “Secretary Mayorkas, when did you become aware that the University of Dayton was implementing your grant funding program to Target conservatives and Christians?” Mayorkas swiftly ran cover for the program, claiming, “It is my understanding that it is not.” But Hageman pressed Mayorkas with evidence first unveiled by MRC Free Speech America on May 25, 2023. Doubling down, Hageman asked, “You’re not aware of that? You are unaware of the information that has been produced, then? Have you ever seen the pyramid that is up on the screen?” Mayorkas responded by admitting he was aware of the MRC exposé. “I learned about the individual speakers' comments with which I profoundly disagree,” Mayorkas said, apparently referring to the disturbing seminar hosted by the University of Dayton.

However, Schneider took the DHS Secretary’s claims with a grain of salt. “Mayorks continues to hide the ball,” Schneider added. “MRC has filed numerous FOIA requests about DHS’s ‘media literacy’ censorship regime, and Mayorkas continues to drag his feet just like he is stonewalling Congress.”

Mayorkas’s dismissal of the seminar contradicts the fact that the University of Dayton used photos, including the baffling “Pyramid” in its grant application, subsequently receiving a whopping $352,109 from the DHS to launch the program.

Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on so-called “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable