“I still support three-letter agencies… right now I’m supporting the FBI… I’m still within the community. I’m still doing the same things… so I can talk a lot of trash and get away with it.”
– Dr. Harry Jackson, FBI, speaking at the HOPE Conference, July 2022
I’m about to hit the ‘send’ button. I’m filing a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel (OCS) against Harry Jackson for violating the Hatch Act. You remember him. I’ve covered him here and here. Harry is a self-admitted FBI employee and member of the intelligence community who has been keeping all of that quiet while running as a (now failed) school board candidate in Fairfax County. His specialty is assisting right-wing operatives turn K-12 education into a battlefield to advance the so-called “parents’ rights” narrative. While working in concert with the Fairfax GOP throughout his campaign, he kept his FBI affiliation hidden from both voters and organizations, such as the NAACP and PTA.
Yes, school board is a non-partisan office, but as far as the Hatch Act is concerned, that all goes out the window if you work with a political party to obtain their endorsement. Additionally, as an intelligence professional, Harry is not an ordinary contractor so that won’t protect him either. Yes, he kept it secret. Except that one time when he blabbed. But don’t take my word for it. I will let Harry speak for himself. All the evidence comes straight from a talk he gave at the Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE) conference in July 2022 in New York City. (For a spook, this guy has horrible “opsec.”)
Northern Virginia communities, in particular, have been embroiled in a new culture war over race and LGBTQIA+ issues related to education policy. Spreading disinformation and sowing discord is Jackson. Masquerading as a “parent advocate,” he has become a lightning rod for controversy. A powerful array of advocacy groups and media organizations have worked alongside the GOP in support of him and his failed candidacy for school board. The most prominent groups are Parents Defending Education (PDE), Independent Women’s Network (IWN), and Fairfax Republicans. A nationally known journalist, Asra Nomani, herself with deep connections to the FBI, has garnered media attention for Jackson from Fox News, WSJ, WMAL, Daily Wire, The Federalist, and Fairfax County Times. The GOP 11th District Chair, Mike Ginsberg, Deputy Senior Counsel at CACI and former Senior Associate General Counsel at ODNI advises him.
Whatever they’ve been up to, it all began in the summer of 2020 when a non-profit call the Coalition for TJ was formed to challenge admissions changes at Thomas Jefferson (TJ) High School for Science and Technology. The group seized control of the TJ PTSA and installed “Professor” Jackson as board president. Chaos ensued; he was forced to resign. Proclaiming himself an “accidental activist” and fighter against “Asian Hate,” Dr. Jackson went on to campaign for future Gov Glenn Youngkin who rewarded him by offering a seat on the VA Board of Education, which was never fulfilled. AG Jason Miyares has aided Jackson and associates by opening a civil rights investigation into their FCPS enemies.
Dr. Jackson ran a toxic and polarizing school board campaign marked by disruptive antics. He has propagandized the community with YouTube shows—FCPS Shadow Board and Education Matters. He brought in the Black Hebrew Israelites, a designated hate group, to break up an NAACP meeting. He has harassed and intimidated parents who challenged his agenda: He used social media to label one father a “groomer” and suggested another was arrested for child endangerment. Making baseless claims that merit is under attack, he urged AG Miyares to investigate parents opposing him as “persons of interest.” He created fake Twitter accounts to stir up division. For example, he is suspected of creating a profile of a child who died in a negligent daycare setting to inflict emotional injury on the mother. Another account depicting a book Banning ultra MAGA mom as a pornographic actress was set up to appear as if pro-LGBTQIA+ activists created it so they could be blamed. Think about that. Now that he’s being sued, he has lawyered up with John Whitbeck, the former State Chair of the VA GOP. Oh yeah, Harry is a close ally of the Hung Cao, the leading Virginia GOP candidate for Senate.
Finally, according to his HOPE conference talk, Jackson immediately “self-reported” his parent advocacy to FBI superiors after Attorney General Merrick Garland issued his memorandum establishing a task force to investigate threats of violence against school officials. Question: how many parents are now in an FBI database as a result of Harry’s report? Most interestingly, Harry goes on to boast about becoming a whistleblower over what was happening at the FBI due to Garland’s memo. However, his affiliation with at least two think tanks and one non-profit as well as Educators for Youngkin, raises the question if the complaint was submitted for political gain. It’s a reasonable suspicion. Then there are those campaign finance filings. Harry has some explaining to do. The finance report anomalies raise legitimate concerns for back door payments. Is Harry a whistleblower-for-hire? Jim, what do you have to say?
Sounds like an amicus brief of questionable origins is coming. Bet you wonder how I know that?? The Coalition for TJ has a case before the Supreme Court. We know Clarence Thomas won’t care because Ginni and Harry run in the same circles, but do the other Justices care that a co-founder is hiding his FBI employment. Is there a relationship between the other co-founders and the FBI? Would this affect standing? We need a lawyer to ask this question.
Quahogs United 