Leaked DOJ Memo Sparks Outcry: AG Bondi’s Plan Targets ‘Radical Gender Ideology’ with FBI Cash Bounty
A firestorm has erupted in Washington following the leak of a confidential Department of Justice memo, allegedly authored by Attorney General Pam Bondi, that outlines a controversial new strategy for combating domestic terrorism. The directive reportedly calls for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to establish a cash reward system aimed at incentivizing the public to report on what the government deems “domestic terrorist organizations.” But it’s the specific language within the document that has drawn widespread condemnation from civil rights and LGBTQ+ advocates.
The internal memorandum, dated December 5, explicitly names groups promoting “radical gender ideology” as a key target of the new initiative. The document reportedly frames support for transgender lives and gender-affirming care as a component of “extremist viewpoints” that align with domestic terror threats.
The memo instructs the FBI to create a “cash reward system for information that leads to the successful identification and arrest of individuals in the leadership of domestic terrorist organizations.” Critics argue that this provision is designed to chill dissent and encourage neighbors to turn on one another over political and social beliefs, a tactic they describe as chillingly authoritarian. The organizations listed as targets reportedly include “certain Antifa-aligned extremists,” citing their adherence to extreme viewpoints on immigration, “radical gender ideology,” and “anti-American sentiment.”
This is not the first time Attorney General Bondi’s office has signaled a clear intent to use the power of the federal government against those who provide or advocate for transgender rights and healthcare. Earlier this year, another internal memo from the DOJ instructed U.S. Attorneys to investigate medical practitioners who provide gender-affirming care to minors, a practice the Attorney General likened to “female genital mutilation” (FGM). This comparison has been widely disputed and rejected by every major American medical association, which endorse gender-affirming care as evidence-based and, in some cases, lifesaving.
In response to the FGM memo, the DOJ’s Civil Division was also directed to investigate pharmaceutical manufacturers for alleged violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act concerning drugs like puberty blockers and sex hormones. Furthermore, the Attorney General has been actively pursuing actions under Title IX, specifically creating a new “Special Investigations Team” focused on preventing transgender women and girls from participating in women’s and girls’ sports and using certain restrooms.
The latest leaked document underscores an unprecedented expansion of the federal government’s definition of “domestic terrorism” to include ideological viewpoints, moving far beyond the focus on white supremacist actions and mass shootings that have historically been major drivers of domestic terror investigations. As the news circulates, civil rights organizations are preparing legal challenges, arguing that the Attorney General’s latest directive threatens to weaponize federal law enforcement against a politically disfavored minority group and their allies, effectively putting a government-sponsored “bounty” on activists and healthcare providers.
The Justice Department has not yet provided an official public comment on the authenticity or specific contents of the leaked December memo.