Grassley, Hawley demand details on Disinfo Board after whistleblower revelations
The Associated Press reported yesterday that GOP senators Chuck Grassley (Iowa) and Josh Hawley (Missouri) are demanding that the Department of Homeland Security provide them with specifics on how it planned to coordinate its Disinformation Governance Board with social media companies to remove user content after a whistleblower provided them with key documents about the board.
In an open letter to DHS secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Senators Grassley and Hawley wrote that DHS must "provide additional clarity regarding its policies and procedures for identifying (mis-, dis- or mal-information), as well as its efforts to 'operationalize' public-private partnerships and the steps it is taking to ensure it does not infringe on the constitutional rights of American citizens."
The public learned about the Disinformation Governance Board when Mayorkas testified about its existence in April.
Observers were troubled by the appointment of Nina Jankowicz as the head of the board. Jankowicz has an abominable relationship with the truth. Back in 2020, she dismissed news about Hunter Biden's infamous laptop as "Russian disinformation." She was an advocate of the discredited Steele dossier, funded by the Clinton campaign, that was the source of the Russian Collusion hoax. She is also a blatant partisan with a history of embracing and spreading disinformation to undermine political opponents.
Observers were also concerned that Mayorkas wasn't explicit about the powers of the Disinformation Governance Board. Was the board meant to be a supervisory body that would order social media firms to add disclaimers or warnings about "disinformation" and deplatform frequent peddlers of "disinformation"? Was the board empowered to act on the ground and direct law enforcement to conduct arrests and searches? Was the board authorized to initiate legal proceedings?
It was alarming that this came at a time when Democrats are in myriad ways attempting to impede upon the fundamental democratic rights of citizens.
The protesters of January 6 are being subjected to draconian punishment without basis. The partisan January 6 Select Committee exists to intimidate political opponents and prevent President Trump from running in 2024. Last year, parents who objected to their children being indoctrinated with left-wing propaganda were branded as domestic terrorists. Recently, Biden called Trump-supporters "the most extreme political organization that's existed in recent American history."
Was the Board another attempt by Washington to criminalize political opposition?
Thanks to the efforts of GOP leaders, free speech absolutists, and conservative commentators, the unconstitutional board was "paused" while Jankowicz was ousted.
The DHS has announced that former DHS secretary Michael Chertoff and former U.S. deputy attorney general Jamie Gorelick, both members of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, were to lead a "thorough review and assessment" of the board.
Back to Senators Grassley's and Hawley's letter.
The senators' letter refers to internal DHS records provided through protected whistleblower disclosures that illustrate how the Disinformation Board was created to exert a powerful influence over the government's efforts to crack down on disinformation in areas where there are "clear, objective facts."
Documents reveal that DHS was focused on not only foreign disinformation, but also "issues at the heart of longstanding political debate such as theories about the validity of elections, the origins and effects of COVID-19 vaccines, and the efficacy of wearing masks."
The letter also states that "given the significant coordinating role the Department envisioned for the Disinformation Governance Board, the consequences of installing Nina Jankowicz, a known trafficker of foreign disinformation and liberal conspiracy theories, as the board's first Executive Director, would have been a disaster."
GOP-supporters often find themselves irked and disappointed with their party. Quite often, they find their representative being seduced by Washington, causing him to abandon his campaign promises, his values, and his principles.
The likes of Mitt Romney, Lindsey Graham, and so many more not only have betrayed their voters on a regular basis, but are often willing to dance obediently to the tune of the Democrats.
I stand ready to vote on ALL the proposals mentioned by President Biden tonight and encourage the Democratic Leader to bring them forward for votes.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 3, 2022
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In a press conference announcing the 'pause', Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the board's "work doesn't stop."
It therefore should be great news for voters that Senators Chuck Grassley and Josh Hawley were not only responsible for compelling the Democrats to pause the Disinformation Governance Board, but also are keeping a close watch on the developments related to the Board.
The senators must also ensure that the whistleblower is protected in every way. Their revelation will lead to a manhunt for the "traitor" within DHS. Democrats respect the rights of only those whistleblowers who work to hurt their political opponents. Those who dare challenge them could be subject to severe punishment.
The Disinformation Governance Board was an attempt by the Biden administration to sit in judgment of every pronouncement of the citizenry. This is undemocratic because in a free society, it is the citizen who should sit in judgment of the government and not the other way around.
Both Grassley and Hawley with their actions are ensuring that the inherent rights of citizens are protected.