Darren Lyn
18 March 2026•Update: 18 March 2026
HOUSTON, United States
The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are spearheading an investigation of US nonprofit groups for suspected links to domestic terrorism, according to a report Wednesday by CBS News.
Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered law enforcement agencies and federal prosecutors in December to prioritize efforts to investigate and prosecute groups and individuals who belong to the anti-fascist antifa movement or are deemed "extremist."
"These domestic terrorists use violence or the threat of violence to advance political and social agendas, including opposition to law and immigration enforcement; extreme views in favor of mass migration and open borders; adherence to radical gender ideology, anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, or anti-Christianity," Bondi wrote in a Dec. 4 memo.
The goal is for law enforcement agencies to consider potential "tax crimes" in which extremist groups are "suspected of defrauding the Internal Revenue Service."
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement that it is "fully committed to preserving the rule of law, protecting law enforcement from coordinated attacks, ensuring everyone has the freedom to speak in the public square, participate freely in the electoral process, and practice their faith without fear of violence or harm, and bringing to justice the full range of criminal actors engaged in criminal conduct matching Congress's definition of domestic terrorism."
A government official confirmed to CBS News the plans for the FBI-IRS partnership. The joint effort will focus on exploring potential funding streams at nonprofits that support domestic terrorism or political violence.
Federal officials have not yet identified which groups could be targeted. Bondi's memo, however, instructed all federal law enforcement agencies to investigate their files for intelligence on antifa groups.
The FBI was also ordered to develop a list of groups that are engaged in acts that "may constitute domestic terrorism," as defined by federal law and that are involved in "acts dangerous to human life" that occur within the US.
The directive is to connect the dots to see if nonprofits may be supporting domestic terror groups that intend to intimidate or coerce people, influence government policy through intimidation or affect the conduct of the government "by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping."
Bondi issued her memo after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in September that was sparked by a series of high-profile events, including the assassination of far-right wing influencer Charlie Kirk.
The Deputy Attorney General's office has also been involved in creating a task force that will investigate companies funding antifa-linked groups, according to the CBS report.
In addition, US attorney offices have been asked to assign a domestic terrorism coordinator to prioritize specific investigations.
