OAN’s Brooke Mallory
4:42 PM – Thursday, March 28, 2024
The National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center, which was just announced by the Biden administration, is the subject of an investigation that was prompted on Thursday morning by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
On Saturday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced its opening and the $750 million in funding allocated for the center.
Attorney General Merrick Garland highly applauded the center’s launch.
“The launch of the National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center will provide our partners across the country with valuable resources to keep firearms out of the hands of individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others. The establishment of the Center is the latest example of the Justice Department’s work to use every tool provided by the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to protect communities from gun violence,” Merrick said.
However, the co-founders of the John Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, Cassandra Crifasi and Joshua Horwitz, received a letter from Representative Jordan on Thursday.
“The Committee on the Judiciary is conducting oversight of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) grant programs and operations, including the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). We are aware that BJA has awarded you a taxpayer funded grant to operate the National Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center, which will ‘support the effective implementation of state red flag laws.’ The Committee has serious concerns about the infringement on due process and Second Amendment rights that red flag or extreme risk protection order laws enable,” Jordan’s letter read.
Jordan went on to stress in the letter the numerous issues with red flag laws, including the dangers they represent to due process.
“These laws are ripe for abuse as the list of individuals who can petition a court for an extreme risk protection is expansive. For example, in Hawaii, a former roommate or even a disgruntled employee can file for an extreme risk protection order. In California, a former roommate, employee, a former girlfriend or even someone in a ‘dating relationship’ with an individual is able to file a petition for an extreme risk protection order. Additionally, many jurisdictions merely require that a showing of probable cause be met in order to seize an individual’s firearms and ammunition and to prohibit that individual from purchasing or possessing any firearms or ammunition. Probable cause is an astonishingly low standard to deprive an individual of his or her constitutional rights without an allegation of criminal activity or an opportunity for the individual to be heard. Currently, fifteen states have laws that will grant an extreme risk protection order using this low standard,” the letter continued.
Jordan then listed questions for which he must have responses by April 11th, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.:
- Explanations of how they are ensuring that funds that have already been distributed to jurisdictions “are following the constitutional and due process safeguards [set forward in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act].”
- Explanation of how Crifasi and Horowitz’s office are “adhering to the provision of the law that requires ‘penalties for abuse of the program.’”
- “All documents and communications from June 25th, 2022 to present between Executive Office of the President employees and Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions employees referring or relating to National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center.”
- “All documents and communications from June 25th, 2022 to present between DOJ employees and Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions employees referring or relating to National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center.”
Jordan also clarified that the materials that Crifasi and Horowtiz turn in must contain the records pertaining to the grant proposal for John Hopkins FY 2022, which seeks funding for an Extreme Risk Protective Order and Firearm Crisis Intervention Training and Technical Assistance Institute.
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