Republicans Question State Department on Ukraine ‘Enemies List’ Featuring Daily Wire Hosts
Republicans in the U.S. Congress are probing the potential involvement of the State Department in a controversy surrounding a Ukrainian NGO’s “Enemies list,” which targets GOP lawmakers, activists, and media institutions. This investigation is spearheaded by Senator J.D. Vance and Representative Matt Gaetz, who expressed concerns about the U.S. supporting Anatoly Bondarenko and his NGO, the Data Journalism MYAgency (TEXTY). TEXTY’s study, titled ”Rollercoaster: From Trumpists to Communists,” lists numerous Americans as detractors in the provision of aid to Ukraine, prompting allegations of a smear campaign possibly funded by U.S. tax dollars.
The lawmakers are questioning the legality of U.S. financial support for TEXTY and have requested documents from the State Department to investigate potential policy violations. The State Department has distanced itself, denying any connection or funding of the “Rollercoaster” project. Meanwhile, the controversy has sparked significant discussion and concern among those named in the list, who view it as an attack motivated by their political stance on U.S. aid to Ukraine.
Republicans in Congress are investigating whether the State Department had anything to do with a Ukrainian NGO’s so-called “Enemies list” of GOP lawmakers, activists, think tanks, news outlets, and others that included The Daily Wire and several of its commentators.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday raising concerns about U.S. support of Anatoly Bondarenko and the group he founded, the Data Journalism Agency (TEXTY), that recently published a study with the list.
The study is titled “Rollercoaster: From Trumpists to Communists. The forces in the U.S. impeding aid to Ukraine and how they do it.” It names 338 individuals and 76 organizations, including Daily Wire hosts Ben Shapiro, Jordan Peterson, Michael Knowles, Matt Walsh, and Brett Cooper.
Vance and Gaetz, who are also listed, said the study is “largely an excuse to smear a large group of Americans who have been skeptical of aid to Ukraine” and is “being broadcast as a part of a coordinated media strategy that has all the hallmarks of a U.S.-targeting influence operation.”
The lawmakers said they want to assess whether there is a violation of U.S. law, noting that “all Americans can agree that our tax dollars should not be supporting direct attacks on U.S. persons based upon reasonable political disagreement” and requested various documents by June 28.
Sought-after records include materials related to any grants awarded to Bondarenko or his group. Vance and Gaetz also asked whether the agency is investigating any relevant violations of policy.
A State Department spokesperson told The Daily Wire in an email on Wednesday that the agency “had no role or involvement in the referenced ‘Roller Coaster’ project published by texty.org.au.”
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), who is running for a Senate seat, went viral last week with a post to X raising the alarm about what he called an “Enemies list” from TEXTY — a characterization rejected by the group. The lawmaker said he was included in the list, and his office would reach out to others it mentioned.
Knowles later posted a letter from Banks and thanked the congressman for “informing me that a U.S. gov’t-affiliated Ukrainian NGO has put me on a hit list.” He added, “ I hope that Congress will heed your advice and stop funding groups that target and endanger American citizens.”
Thank you to @RepJimBanks for informing me that a U.S. gov’t-affiliated Ukrainian NGO has put me on a hit list. I hope that Congress will heed your advice and stop funding groups that target and endanger American citizens. pic.twitter.com/donzUzS4P6
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) June 11, 2024
In the letter to Knowles and Shapiro, Banks said that he sent a separate message to Republican leaders in the House Appropriations Committee, “urging them to stop the State Department and USAID from partnering with any actors overseas who encourage the harassment of Americans.”
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Banks announced in a press release on Wednesday that House Republicans passed a provision that seeks to prohibit funding for TEXTY during the full House Appropriations Committee markup of the Fiscal Year 2025 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill.
“It’s shameful for our agencies to be using Hoosiers’ tax dollars to collaborate with foreign groups that attempt to intimidate U.S. citizens and lawmakers,” Banks said. “I’d like to thank the Republicans on the Appropriations Committee for defunding any such work with” TEXTY.
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