Chairman Takano Announces Committee Investigation on the Targeted Recruitment of Veterans by Extremist Groups

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano announced a new Committee investigation examining the targeted recruitment of veterans by extremist groups. This investigation is a natural successor to the Committee’s prior investigation into disinformation on social media, initially brought to light by Vietnam Veterans of America, and Committee report, entitled “Hijacking our Heroes,” which highlights spoofing as one of the primary tools for recruitment used by extremist groups.
 
“Since last fall, our Committee has been working to understand who groups such as the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, and others are, where they fit into the broader landscape of extremist and hate groups, and why they specifically seek to recruit veterans into their ranks,” said Chairman Takano. “This Committee has taken a firm stance against the targeting of veterans— whether that be by holding predatory for-profit institutions accountable or combating the spread of harmful disinformation on social media. The harm from this particular issue transcends veterans, and taken to the extreme, can threaten the very core of our democracy and national security. Exploiting veterans is unacceptable, and it’s our job to identify potential means to identify, intercept, and assist veterans who have been ensnared in such recruitment efforts. That’s why my Committee is continuing to investigate how these groups continue to recruit veterans with extremist ideology and what role we can play in stopping it.” 

###

• Print
• Email
• Tweet