EXCLUSIVE – Rep. Jack Bergman has raised national security alarm bells by calling on the Justice Department to investigate ongoing efforts of an anti-American website that is allegedly promoted by Iran’s regime and incites assassination attacks against U.S. law enforcement personnel and American Jews.
Bergman, R-Mich., sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland earlier this month. The letter, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, called for immediate action.
He wrote, ‘To protect Americans’ national security interests and religious freedoms, the Justice Department should commission a full investigation into the origins and funding of the Mapping Project, including possible collaboration with the Islamic Republic.’
Fox News Digital has reported extensively on the Mapping Project in 2022, when it was first revealed, and in March with respect to the role of the Iranian regime in supporting the terrorism aims of the Mapping Project.
Bergman stated in his letter to Garland, ‘I write to express my concern that the Islamic Republic of Iran is covertly supporting a purported social justice movement in the United States known as ‘the Mapping Project’ as part of a sophisticated campaign to sew social discord and undermine public faith in American institutions.
‘Launched in 2022, the Mapping Project maintains a website with an interactive map that pinpoints the precise geographic locations of more than 500 civil society, government, national security, religious, and community organizations in the state of Massachusetts that it claims should be ‘dismantled’ for advancing perceived ‘harms’ in the United States and in Israel.’
He noted, ‘Among the entities whose precise locations are shared on the Mapping Project website are some 271 police stations – law enforcement is a frequent target for the Mapping Project, which publicly called for the abolition of the Boston Police Department – nine U.S. military bases and installations, and several Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Secret Service offices. Nearly 300 of the approximately 500 organizations mapped by the Mapping Project contribute to the nation’s national security.’
Bergman referenced the Zachor Legal Institute in his letter because of its March report on the Mapping Project. The congressman wrote the Zachor report was ‘endorsed by 17 additional and highly respected American NGOs’ and resulted in ‘finding that Iranian elements are likely involved in the development and promotion of the Mapping Project.’
According to Bergman’s letter, ‘The Mapping Project combines elements of far-left extremism with anti-Western and pro-Communist ideologies to demonize and attack organizations not aligned with its profoundly illiberal and un-American worldview. It often uses extremist – and sometimes violent – rhetoric to name and shame organizations that run afoul of its views.’
The Mapping Project is taking place at time when there are outbreaks of deadly antisemitic attack in the U.S., ‘from the mass shootings at Chabad of Poway and Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh to the recent hostage standoff at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas,’ noted Bergman.
He added, ‘The Mapping Project is rife with antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment; an outsize number of the organizations the Mapping Project singles out are Jewish institutions, including synagogues, schools and NGOs.’
Bergman’s letter stated, ‘On multiple occasions, the Mapping Project was endorsed by Iranian-owned media organization PressTV, which said that the Mapping Project should be expanded to additional states beyond Massachusetts, and by Al Mayadeen, which is affiliated with Hezbollah.’
Iran’s PressTV was sanctioned by the U.S. government and was reportedly involved in the torture of a Canadian-Iranian reporter for Newsweek.
The United States government has classified Iran as the world’s worst state-sponsor of terrorism, and designated the Lebanese-based Hezbollah a foreign terrorist organization.
A Justice Department official wrote to Fox News Digital by email and said to fill out a press query on the Justice Department’s website. Fox News Digital sent two press queries to the Justice Department via its website seeking comment about whether it will launch an investigation into the Mapping Project.