News / FJP Releases

November 13, 2024 (Washington, D.C.) — Fair and Just Prosecution Acting Co-Executive Director Amy Fettig issued the following statement in response to the House of Representatives blocking the passage of H.R. 9495, which would have given the Secretary of Treasury sweeping powers to investigate and potentially dismantle tax-exempt organizations, including media outlets, universities, and community groups, by removing their tax-exempt status based on an unverified claim of misconduct.

“Congress was right to reject H.R. 9495, which can only be characterized as a brazen attack on civil society. The bill would give any future presidential administration the power to investigate, intimidate, and silence opponents by labeling legitimate criticism as a form of domestic support for terrorism. This is not the behavior of democratic nations – this is the behavior of authoritarian governments and rogue regimes. We call on every citizen regardless of partisan affiliation to call your congress person and demand that they reject any government action that infringes upon people’s ability to exercise their First Amendment rights to lawfully engage in collective action as part of the democratic process.”