New YorkAP —
Mahmoud Khalil is suing the federal government and several private groups, alleging they were part of a conspiracy to suppress criticism of Israel by doxing, jailing and attempting to deport supporters of the pro-Palestinian movement.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court Tuesday, alleges a coordinated campaign among senior officials of President Donald Trump’s administration, leaders of the Heritage Foundation and two online surveillance groups, Canary Mission and Betar.
The “public-private partnership” — first brought to light in a separate trial last year — may violate the Ku Klux Klan Act, a Reconstruction-era law that sought to restrict government coordination with vigilante groups, according to Khalil’s lawyers.
Inquiries to the Heritage Foundation, Canary Mission and Betar were not immediately returned on Tuesday.
