Rep. Andy Harris said Monday that the House must investigate organizations that brand mainstream conservative groups as "hate groups," telling Newsmax that some of these entities have fueled political violence and deserve congressional scrutiny.

Appearing on "National Report," the Maryland Republican described a letter the House Freedom Caucus sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., calling for a full probe of groups such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, which frequently labels conservative or faith-based organizations as extremists.

"That's absolutely right. We have to investigate," he said. "This started years ago and, of course, it accelerated during COVID, during the George Floyd riots, where there was overt violence. We know that there was money funneled into those groups."

Rep. Harris cited concerns over funding networks and political figures, including Vice President Kamala Harris' 2020 support for a bail fund for protesters, as reasons to dig deeper.

"The bottom line is there is a money connection, and we need to trace it because it's fomenting violence on the political left," he said.

The Maryland Republican also pointed to liberal financier George Soros.

"George Soros is behind many of them, we know that," he said, referencing Soros-backed efforts to elect progressive prosecutors and attorneys general.

"This has to stop now. The bottom line is it should never be acceptable. You can protest in the United States — no question about it, you have a First Amendment right — but you cannot turn violent. And there can never be an organized method, as I think there is now, to promote that violence," he added.

The House Freedom Caucus urged Johnson earlier this month to empower committees with full subpoena authority to obtain records and communications "between these violent protesters and the groups that are funding them," he said.

The Open Society Foundations, which Soros founded, rejected any suggestion of supporting violence. In a statement last month, the organization said it "does not support or fund violent protests." The group maintains that its grants focus on advancing democracy, human rights, and justice.

Rep. Harris emphasized that Congress has a duty to ensure the constitutional right to peaceful protest is not abused.

"There can never be an organized method to promote that violence," he said, underscoring that subpoena power will allow lawmakers to "trace" any financial connections and "stop" organized efforts to incite unrest.

GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!

Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.

You need to watch NEWSMAX today.

Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!

Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now

BEST OFFER:

Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.

Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials. Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!

Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app. Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!

Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com