House GOP presses DOJ to investigate pro-Palestinian student group for link to terrorist organizations

EXCLUSIVE — A group of House Republicans is pressing the Department of Justice to open an investigation into whether a national pro-Palestinian student group is being financially funded by foreign terrorist organizations to promote violence against Jewish Americans, according to a letter sent to the department on Friday.

GOP lawmakers, led by Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), urged the DOJ to determine whether there is a connection between Students for Justice in Palestine and any known foreign terrorist organizations or sanctioned people and entities. The request comes amid a rise in antisemitism on college campuses across the country as well as an increase in reports of hate speech or acts of violence that have occurred since war broke out in Israel in early October.

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“We fully support the First Amendment rights of American citizens to peaceably assembly and exercise their free speech rights,” the lawmakers wrote, according to the letter that was first obtained by the Washington Examiner. “Our concern is that a Foreign Terrorist Organization or their intermediaries may be coordinating with foreign nationals, who have been allowed into the country on student visas, to promote violence against American citizens based on their religion.”

The letter specifically cites the SJP’s release of its “Day of Resistance Toolkit” manifesto, which was published one day after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, raising concerns about “potential coordination” between the student organization and intermediaries of foreign groups. The group cited data from the Network Contagion Research Institute that showed billions of dollars being illegally transferred from foreign entities to college campuses in the United States. This includes $2.7 billion from Qatar, $1.1 billion from Saudi Arabia, and $431 million from the United Arab Emirates.

House lawmakers on the Ways and Means Committee have already opened a separate investigation into SJP’s finances, with Republicans now calling on the Justice Department to launch its own inquiry.

“We are urging DOJ to investigate whether FTOs or sanctioned entities are providing SJP with financial support or material support,” the letter said.

Lawmakers outlined six specific questions they want the DOJ to answer, including clarification on what actions the department would take if a foreign national is accepted into the country on a student visa but later threatens violence against a U.S. citizen. The group also pressed the department to investigate the SJP’s Day of Resistance manifesto, seeking answers on how the group was able to develop the “comprehensive” toolkit “so soon after the October 7th attack? Did they coordinate with any FTO or sanctioned individual or entity to create the ‘toolkit?’”

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The student organization has prompted widespread concerns about its possible ties to foreign terrorist groups, with several universities going so far as to suspend the group’s activities on campuses over accusations of violating university policy for conducting demonstrations.

Eight other Republicans signed the letter, including House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Reps. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Barry Moore (R-AL), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), and Eric Burlison (R-MO).