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Fusion Center Threat Memo
A law enforcement intelligence hub in New Jersey warned that the growing class divide in the U.S. could drive a wave of lone-wolf attacks on high-flying corporate executives, according to a report obtained by The Intercept.
“A law enforcement intelligence hub in New Jersey fretted that the growing class divide in the U”
The New Jersey Regional Operations and Intelligence Center, described as one of the so-called fusion centers, issued a bulletin earlier this year that said disaffected Americans were increasingly blaming society’s ills on rich people and corporate bigwigs.
The report specifically cited the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024—allegedly by Luigi Mangione—as an expression of anti-fat-cat rhetoric.
The fusion center memo said, “Public discourse increasingly attributes the challenges faced by the middle and lower classes to the actions and influence of wealthy corporate executives,” framing Thompson’s killing as part of a larger trend.
Warnings to Corporate Security
The bulletin, titled “Quarterly Executive Threat Watch,” warned corporate bodyguards to switch up the daily routines of execs, limit information on public engagements, and remove bosses’ personal information from the web.
It told bosses to “remain vigilant of lone offenders with personal grievances,” and said, “Online glorification of the murder of Brian Thompson and calls for violence are still apparent and further create a risk for a lone offender attack.”
Michael German, a former FBI agent specializing in domestic terrorism and a longtime critic of fusion centers, said the bulletin was effectively taking the side of the rich and powerful over ordinary people who are critical of inequality.
German argued, “All the resources of the national network of fusion centers, which includes federal resources along with state and local resources, are devoted toward providing security information to private entities.”
Broader Incidents and Stakes
The Intercept reported that the bulletin cited a list of incidents to highlight a possible surge in threats to the wealthy, including a satirical Christmas wishlist calling for sabotaging CEOs and a handful of 4chan posts calling for violence against executives at Netflix and elsewhere.
“A law enforcement intelligence hub in New Jersey fretted that the growing class divide in the U”
It also referenced a “far-left forum” calling for a campaign against people tied to a mining project in Michigan and an act of vandalism by pro-Palestine activists at the home of a New York Times executive.
German criticized the approach, saying, “The problem with a lot of these fusion center reports is that they take a handful of incidents, not necessarily related to one another, and use them to justify and amplify these threats without any kind of analysis.”
The report further described fusion centers as intelligence clearinghouses that rose to prominence after the 9/11 attacks and operate under state authority, often with grants from federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, while also noting that critics have targeted their surveillance of protest movements and communities of color.
