The White Rose Society has named Lara Burns, retired FBI Special Agent and Head of the Terrorism Research Program on Extremism at George Washington University, as its latest recipient — an honor reserved for those who exemplify moral clarity and steadfast allyship in the fight against extremism and antisemitism.

Lara is a true force who has been nominated for a White Rose multiple times. For decades, she has worked to expose the threats created by Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Islamist deception to Israel and U.S. national security.

White Rose Society Citation

“Lara Burns exemplifies the moral clarity, strategic courage, and steadfast allyship that define the White Rose Society. Over a 23-year career as a federal agent and attorney, she helped dismantle the largest terrorism financing network in U.S. history—United States v. Holy Land Foundation—securing convictions of top Hamas fundraisers (then focused on financing suicide bombings against Israeli civilians) operating under charitable cover. For this work, she received the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service, one of the Department of Justice’s highest honors.

Burns has dedicated her career to protecting Jewish communities from extremist threats. As an FBI counterterrorism program coordinator and instructor, she trained thousands of law enforcement professionals—domestic and international—on how to detect and disrupt terrorism financing, often tied to antisemitic ideologies.

Now, as Head of Terrorism Research at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, she continues her mission in public. She has emerged as a trusted expert witness in major civil cases—Boim v. American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and a Virginia-based case involving AMP and National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP)—bringing deep subject-matter expertise to bear in exposing terror-linked nonprofit networks operating in the U.S. and a regular speaker at Jewish events.

Her scholarship, security briefings, and public testimony consistently support Jewish institutions, educate civil society, and defend democratic values under threat. Lara Burns has not only stood against hate—she has methodically, courageously dismantled its infrastructure.

Her integrity, moral leadership, and lifelong commitment to the safety and dignity of Jewish life make her an extraordinary nominee for the White Rose Society.”