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The House panel probing the ‘weaponization’ of the federal government and the subsequent release of the ‘Twitter Files,’ kicked off with a fiery start on Thursday as the Republican-led hearing began with sniping attacks between Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and the ranking member, Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands).
The chairman’s opening statements included a tirade against the ‘cozy relationship’ between Big Tech and government agencies, with particular ire against Twitter for suppressing a story in 2020 about the release of embarrassing emails and photos from Hunter Biden’s laptop.
Jordan claimed that Twitter executives were tipped off that the Bidens would be the target of a ‘hack and leak operation’ by U.S. government officials, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
‘What a coincidence,’ Jordan snarked.
Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, left, speaks during a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill, Feb. 9, 2023, in Washington
Twitter is accused of having a cozy relationship with government agencies.
Plaskett retorted that Republicans are pushing a misleading narrative and possess questionable motives.
‘There is something going on between Congressional Republicans and Elon Musk,’ she said. ‘Mr. Chairman, Americans can see through this. Musk is helping you out politically, and you’re going out of your way to promote and protect him, and to praise him for his work.’
‘Ridiculous!’ snapped Jordan as he continued to bicker with Plaskett, who complained that the Democrats didn’t get access to letters from the Federal Trade Commission until 8 p.m. the night before the hearing.
The chairman introduced the witnesses, including Substack journalists Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger, who were given access by Elon Musk to review ‘voluminous’ amounts of Twitter’s internal communications on possible working relationships between social media companies and government agencies.
In his opening statement, Taibbi told the panel that he attracted intense public interest when the first ‘Twitter Files’ reports came out.
‘My computer looked like a slot machine as just the first tweet about the blockage of the Hunter Biden laptop story registered 143 million impressions and 30 million engagements.’
Taibbi got the attention of millions of viewers with the first installment focusing on Twitter’s internal discussions leading them to censor the Hunter Biden laptop during the 2020 presidential election, as some officials tried to explain it violated its ‘hacked materials’ policies.
‘We learned Twitter, Facebook, Google, and other companies developed a formal system for taking in moderation ‘requests’ from every corner of government: the FBI, DHS, HHS, DOD, the Global Engagement Center at State, even the CIA.’
Taibbi wrote, ‘Undeniably, making such lists is a form of digital McCarthyism.’
‘We just saw this with the Covid lab-leak theory. Many of the institutions we’re now investigating initially labeled the idea that Covid came from a lab ‘disinformation’ and conspiracy theory. Now apparently, even the FBI takes it seriously. ‘
‘The First Amendment, and an American population accustomed to the right to speak, is the best defense left against the Censorship-Industrial Complex,’ he wrote.
‘If there’s anything the Twitter Files show, it’s that we’re in danger of losing this most precious right, without which all other democratic rights are impossible.’
Michael Shellenberger’s testimony warned that censorship of any type would have a dangerous impact on the First Amendment.
‘I offer some cautions. I do not know how much of the censorship is coordinated beyond what we have been able to document, and I will not speculate. And I support the right of governments to communicate with the public, including to dispute inaccurate and misleading information. But government officials have been caught repeatedly pushing social media platforms to censor disfavored users and content.’
‘The government no longer needs a predicate of calling you a terrorist or extremist to deploy government resources to counter your political activity. The only predicate it needs is simply the assertion that the opinion you expressed on social media is wrong.’
‘There is something going on between Congressional Republicans and Elon Musk,’ said ranking member Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands)
Independent journalist Matt Taibbi testifies before the House committee about the ‘Twitter Files’
Journalist Michael Shellenberger testifies about the ‘Twitter Files’ before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government
President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden leave Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Johns Island, S.C. House Republicans have first requested documents from Hunter and James Biden regarding foreign business dealings.
Hunter Biden’s laptop that was left with a computer repair shop – the contents are up for dispute but almost everyone agrees that it’s damning for the president’s son
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