The Justice Department has created a “domestic terrorism” division after previously labeling libertarians and conservatives as “domestic extremists.”

The DOJ announced it will appoint a “domestic terrorism counsel” to focus on who the Obama administration and the controversial Southern Poverty Law Center considers “extremists.”

“Looking back over the past few years, it is clear that domestic terrorists and homegrown violent extremists remain a real and present danger to the United States,” the DOJ’s John Carlin said on Wednesday.

But the Justice Dept. and the Department of Homeland Security previously characterized libertarians, conservatives and constitutionalists as militia-inspired “domestic extremists.”

“Militia members most commonly associated with third-party political groups,” a 2009 Missouri Information Analysis Center report stated. “It is not uncommon for militia members to display Constitutional Party, Campaign for Liberty or libertarian material.”

“These members are usually supporters of former presidential candidates Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin and Bob Barr.”

Even more concerning, the MIAC report encouraged law enforcement to scrutinize Americans who oppose abortion, illegal immigration and the rapid growth of the government, all of which are views shared by a plurality of Donald Trump supporters.

“The MIAC report is particularly pernicious because it indoctrinates Missouri law enforcement in the belief that people who oppose confiscatory taxation, believe in the well-documented existence of a New World Order and world government (a Google search of this phrase will pull up numerous references made by scores of establishment political leaders), and are opposed to the obvious expansion of the federal government at the expense of the states as violent extremists who are gunning for the police,” Kurt Nimmo pointed out. “It specifically targets supporters of mainstream political candidates and encourages police officers to consider them dangerous terrorists.”

The report was compiled with input from the leftist SPLC which routinely smears well-known libertarian and conservative organizations by falsely conflating them with racist, extremist groups.

“The SPLC, the well-heeled propaganda machine that smears conservatives for cash, is an integral part of the ongoing leftist effort to demonize and destroy legitimate conservative voices,” journalist Robert Spencer wrote, adding, “The SPLC turns a blind eye to the real hate that comes from the left and Islamic supremacists, and offers with its hate group listings not only an incitement to violence, but a handy tool that lazy, leftist mainstream media journalists use to try to intimidate people away from supporting … human rights.”

It’s been reported that the SPLC has made over $150 million in the past 20 years from advising law enforcement on conservative and libertarian “extremism.”

Local law enforcement officials have used SPLC reports to “justify” the deployment of former military equipment such as grenade launchers and MRAPs for domestic police use.

“I mean, we’ve got a lot of constitutionalists and a lot of people that stockpile weapons, lots of ammunition,” a Washington state sheriff’s deputy proclaimed when asked why his department used a MRAP.

And last week, a Georgia grand jury formally charged 15 Confederate flag supporters on terror charges.

“Douglas County District Attorney Brian Fortner said members of the ‘Respect the Flag’ group violated the state’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act and made terroristic threats when their caravan of vehicles bearing the rebel flag drove past a neighborhood party,” Fox News reported.

Similarly, the Justice Dept. has been pressuring banks to refuse service to businesses the DOJ is targeting politically, such as gun stores, in a program entitled Operation Choke Point.

Under the program, the DOJ is attempting to shut down various legal businesses, including firearm dealers, dating services, purveyors of drug paraphernalia and pornography distributors, by coercing financial institutions to close the bank and merchant accounts associated with these businesses.

And back in April the National Guard performed “civil unrest” drills in Richmond, Calif., which featured role players screaming right-wing rhetoric.

“Why in the course of a drill for a dirty bomb, would an actor claim to be a sovereign citizen?” Keith Johnson asked, who filmed the footage. “The San Francisco Bay Area is not known for its sovereign citizen militia population and hearing this shouted during a mock terrorist scenario was disturbing.”

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