A trove of internal Department of Justice emails, newly released by the conservative watchdog America First Legal, is raising fresh concerns about political interference and the weaponization of federal law enforcement under the Biden administration.

The documents reveal that top DOJ aides were in contact with the White House before Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered the FBI to get involved in local school board disputes in 2021 — a move that critics say was aimed squarely at silencing parents opposed to left-wing school policies.

The controversy traces back to September 29, 2021, when the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sent President Biden a now-retracted letter accusing parents of “threatening” and “harassing” school board members over COVID mandates, critical race theory indoctrination, and radical gender policies. The NSBA even urged that some parents be investigated under federal domestic terrorism laws, according to Fox News.

While the group later apologized, the letter quickly set off a chain reaction inside the DOJ. In an October 1, 2021, email, Kevin Chambers, an aide to the deputy attorney general, wrote: “We’re aware; the challenge here is finding a federal hook. But WH has been in touch about whether we can assist in some form or fashion.”

Three days later, Garland issued his now-infamous memo directing the FBI to coordinate with local police to address what he called a “disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence” against school officials. Garland later testified to Congress that the NSBA letter directly influenced his decision.

Yet internal dissent within the DOJ was clear. In an October 3, 2021, message, one attorney said after reviewing the letter’s claims: “It appears to me that the vast, vast majority of the behavior cited cannot be reached by federal law… almost all of the language being used is protected by the First Amendment.” The attorney added that any legitimate criminal issues — such as trespassing — should be handled by local authorities, concluding there was “nothing remotely federal” about the cited incidents.

According to the newly released records, Sparkle Sooknanan — then a DOJ official and now a Biden-appointed federal judge — was the first to push internal discussions about a federal response. On October 2, she sent a “quick-turn request” asking whether the Civil Rights Division had any authority to act on the NSBA’s concerns.

Gene Hamilton, president of America First Legal, said the emails confirm “a conspiracy that was ultimately aimed at depriving parents of two fundamental rights — the right to speak, and the right to direct the upbringing of their children.”

Republicans have long accused the Biden administration of using federal agencies as political weapons to intimidate critics. The revelation that the NSBA coordinated with the White House before sending its letter has only deepened concerns about the erosion of the traditional firewall between the DOJ and the Oval Office.

One former DOJ employee with nearly 20 years at the department told CBS News the separation is gone: “There used to be a line… a very distinct separation between the White House and the Department of Justice, because one should not interfere with the work of the other. That line is very definitely gone.”

America First Legal says it will continue to expose what it calls “the weaponization of the DOJ against everyday Americans,” promising more document releases in the coming months.