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Attorney General Pam Bondi acknowledged for the first time during her February 11, 2026, House Judiciary Committee testimony that the Department of Justice maintains a secret list of domestic terrorist organizations, confirming long-suspected surveillance practices that operate without public transparency or congressional oversight. The admission came during questioning about DOJ's targeting of political opponents and civil rights activists, adding to concerns about the weaponization of terrorism designations against domestic political movements.
The existence of a secret domestic terrorist list raises significant civil liberties concerns given the administration's rhetoric characterizing political opposition as "seditious" and labeling protesters as terrorists. Unlike foreign terrorist organization designations, which follow a formal State Department process with public notice, appeals procedures, and congressional notification requirements, a domestic terrorist list operates without statutory framework, due process protections, or judicial review. The revelation came as DOJ had already attempted to prosecute six Democratic lawmakers under a statute forbidding interference with military loyalty—characterizing their video reminding service members to refuse illegal orders as potential sedition.
Civil liberties advocates noted that secret domestic terrorist designations could be used to justify enhanced surveillance, no-fly list additions, financial account monitoring, and investigation of individuals' associates without probable cause of criminal activity. The timing of Bondi's admission coincided with DOJ's civil rights division mass exodus over political interference, the gutting of the public integrity section, and multiple failed grand jury indictments of political opponents—suggesting the list could serve as infrastructure for systematic targeting of administration critics.
The lack of transparency about designation criteria, appeal mechanisms, or even notification to designated individuals or organizations creates potential for abuse far exceeding foreign terrorist designations. Bondi provided no details about how many organizations or individuals appear on the list, the criteria for inclusion, oversight mechanisms, or whether those designated are notified. The secret domestic terrorist list represents a parallel surveillance and targeting infrastructure operating without the legal constraints, transparency requirements, or judicial oversight that govern foreign terrorist designations and criminal investigations.