Although it is not clear how the current research on domestic terrorism of the FBI, Musk and other Tesla executives could have similar access and influence on the inquiries. When the cases reach the courts, Tesla could also opt for compensation of the government in the form of restitution. These funds are usually used to pay the families of terrorism victims, but German explains to Wired that companies can also opt for them. It stipulates that, in a successful criminal case, you see no reason why Tesla would not be compensated. The Musk company could also opt for money from state compensation programs for victims of terrorism, who receive some funds from the federal government.
What risks do protesters face?
Research on domestic terrorism is usually delicate. Organizations such as the American Union of Civil Libertads (ACLU) argue that The FBI commonly uses them to monitor activists and color communities without adequate supervision.
President Trump has mentioned that his administration is taking very seriously the incidents related to Tesla: “The people who are surprised will go to jail for up to twenty years, and that includes the financiers. We are looking for them !!!!”, Trump wrote in a publication on social networks last week.
Hina Shamsi, director of the National Security Project of the ACLU, states that, instead of “focusing on the most serious criminal conduct”, federal agencies have wasted resources and abused their authority by “dealing with the alleged non -violent civil disappointment or vandalism as justification for arbitrary investigations of civil rights and other activists.”
German reiterates that, historically, the FBI has supported the so -called “radicalization theory”, which postulates that the beliefs of extremists climb naturally from moderate and widely extended conceptions. According to German, that logic justifies that the FBI extends a wide surveillance network, especially when it comes to activists: “They suggest that anyone who has a similar ideology could be willing to commit the same type of crime. We have seen many abuses from the FBI investigation authorities, especially around national defense groups.”
Five years ago, the FBI used the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Law (FISA) to monitor people who participated in Black Lives Matter protests, investigating whether they had links with terrorists. The Inspector General of the DOJ described the incident of “an example of the generalized breach” of the FISA rules by the FBI. German concludes that, in this case, Instead of focusing on people who have allegedly committed fires or acts of violence, the FBI could monitor people who believe they express anger or aversion towards Tesla or Elon Musk.
Article originally published in Wired. Adapted by Alondra Flores.
#Investigate #attacks #Tesla #domestic #terrorism #endangers #activists
