The Biden administration has agreed to disband a national security experts’ group following a lawsuit alleging political bias in favor of Democrats. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched the Homeland Intelligence Experts Group in September 2023, but faced legal action from America First Legal (AFL) and former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell for violating the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).
The lawsuit claimed that the group’s members were political allies of the Biden Administration, with most supporting Biden and criticizing former President Trump. The group was accused of being unbalanced and influenced by special interests, violating FACA provisions. As a result, the DHS agreed to shut down the experts group within 30 days and not reconstitute it in a way that contradicts FACA or the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
While the DHS did not admit wrongdoing, AFL hailed the decision as a legal victory over the Biden administration. This is the second time the administration has disbanded an advisory group due to FACA violations, with the Department of Education disbanding a similar council in December 2022.
The DHS experts group included members like John Brennan and James Clapper, who dismissed the Hunter Biden laptop story as Russian disinformation. The panel had a history of political contributions heavily favoring Democrats, raising concerns about partisan bias. In response to the lawsuit, the DHS agreed to provide meeting agendas and minutes to AFL and settle the matter.
The disbanding of the experts group marks a significant development in addressing allegations of political bias within government advisory bodies. The lawsuit highlighted concerns about the influence of special interests and the need for fair and balanced representation in such groups. Can you rewrite this sentence?
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