By Steve Neavling
The Justice Department is creating a new unit tasked with combating domestic terrorism.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen made the announcement during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, The Washington Post reports.
The move comes amid an alarming rise in domestic extremism. Olsen said the number of domestic extremism cases handled by the FBI have more than doubled since the spring of 2020.
The new group will include a group of lawyers who will ensure that cases will be “handled properly and effectively coordinated” across the department and federal law enforcement .
“This group of dedicated attorneys will focus on the domestic terrorism threat, helping to ensure that these cases are handled properly and effectively coordinated across the Department of Justice and across the country,” Olsen said.
More than 725 people have been charged for their role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
FBI Director Christopher Wray previously said that the number of agents and analysts working on domestic terrorism cases has more than tripled.
