Biden administration under scrutiny for providing ‘incomplete’ records to Congress in censorship probe

House GOP Demands Complete Grant Records from State Department

The House GOP is ‌intensifying its scrutiny⁣ of the State Department, ‍accusing it of providing‌ “incomplete” grant records to ⁣congressional investigators. Of particular concern is⁤ the agency’s funding of organizations that allegedly silence conservative voices online. The House Small Business Committee has ⁣renewed ‍its request for ⁣information on grants awarded by the State Department’s Global‌ Engagement Center (GEC), including funds given to ‌the Global​ Disinformation Index (GDI), a British think tank ​that aims to ‍strip revenue from conservative media ​outlets.

In⁤ a⁢ letter‌ to GEC Special⁢ Envoy and Coordinator James Rubin, committee​ members‌ expressed their broader concerns about “government ‌censorship and revenue interference of American small businesses​ by proxy.” They criticized the GEC for funding companies‌ that label right-wing beliefs as “disinformation”‌ and accused the ‌Biden ‍Administration of positioning itself as the arbiter of⁣ truth.

This letter is the latest development in congressional efforts to investigate the federal government’s ties to the “disinformation” and “misinformation” tracking industry, which Republicans argue is⁣ used to censor conservatives online. In December, the state of Texas, along with​ conservative media outlets ⁤the Daily Wire and the Federalist, filed a lawsuit against the GEC, ‌alleging ⁤an unconstitutional “censorship scheme.” The recently passed⁢ Pentagon spending bill for 2023 also banned the Defense Department from placing advertisements in news⁣ sources based on ⁤political preferences or biases.

The House Small Business Committee accused the GEC of straying from its⁣ mandate and raised ‍concerns about the lack ⁢of oversight over grant ‌recipients. They ‌demanded an unredacted list of all GEC grant recipients and associated award numbers, expressing disappointment with the incomplete records provided‍ by the⁤ GEC.

The committee also highlighted the ⁤GEC’s funding‌ of ​Moonshot CVE, ‍a group claiming⁤ to‌ fight “conspiracy theories” and “hate speech,” as well as ‌the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, which partnered with the GDI. The lawmakers criticized⁣ the GEC’s association with Albany Associates International, a British group that‌ advocates for partnerships between government, academia, and tech to combat “disinformation.”

The GOP-led House ‍Foreign Affairs Committee is considering not ⁢reauthorizing the GEC in 2024⁣ due to ‌concerns raised by a negative inspector general report and the grant to ⁣the GDI. The‍ committee has been investigating the GEC’s activities ⁣and questioned GEC acting Coordinator Daniel Kimmage in a tense hearing.

The House Small Business ⁣Committee has requested additional grant records from the GEC and may resort to issuing a subpoena if the office does not comply. The committee is particularly interested in an internal document titled “2023.02.14 GEC-GDI-BLACKLIST.docx.”

Conservative media outlets, including Blaze Media and the Media Research Center, have ⁢expressed​ their concerns about the GEC’s actions, calling them unconstitutional and a threat to freedom of speech and the free ⁣press.

The ⁢investigation by the House Small Business Committee has ⁢focused on government-induced censorship, interference in small businesses’ ability to earn revenue​ from‍ ads, and​ interference with small businesses’ ability⁢ to place advertisements on platforms other than their own.

The State Department has not yet commented on the matter.

How ⁢does the House Small Business Committee’s request for information on grant ⁣awards shed ​light on concerns about bias and censorship in media funding from organizations like the Global Disinformation Index?

⁤ Political ideology, further reflecting concerns about⁢ potential bias in media funding.

The House GOP’s demand for complete grant records from the ⁣State ​Department signals a growing unease among conservatives regarding the agency’s⁣ support for organizations⁤ that they ⁣believe undermine conservative voices. The focus on ​the Global Engagement Center and its funding of the Global Disinformation Index highlights ⁣concerns over censorship and bias in the dissemination of information.

The House‍ Small Business Committee’s request for information‍ seeks to shed light on the grant awards made by the GEC, specifically investigating ⁤funds given to the Global Disinformation Index. This British think⁣ tank has been accused of aiming to ⁣strip ⁣revenue from conservative media outlets, which has further raised concerns among committee members. Their broader concerns encompass government censorship and interference ‌with ⁣American small businesses, effectively positioning the Biden Administration as the sole arbiter of truth.

This latest development is part of a larger⁣ effort within⁤ Congress to ‍investigate the federal government’s involvement with the “disinformation” and “misinformation” tracking industry. Republicans argue that this industry⁤ is often used as a tool to silence and censor‍ conservative voices ⁣online. The lawsuit filed by the state of Texas and conservative media outlets against the GEC in December further demonstrates⁢ the extent of these concerns, alleging ‍an⁤ unconstitutional “censorship scheme.”

The recently passed Pentagon spending bill for 2023, which includes a ban on Defense Department advertisements in news sources based on political⁣ ideology, further underscores the growing apprehension surrounding biased media funding.

Overall, the House ‌GOP’s demand for complete grant records from the State Department indicates⁣ a heightened ⁣scrutiny of funding decisions made by ⁣the⁤ agency. ​The concern ‍lies in the potential silencing of conservative voices by funding organizations that label right-wing beliefs as “disinformation.” As congressional investigations continue, the debate surrounding censorship, ideological bias, and the role⁢ of the federal⁣ government in the dissemination of information will remain at the forefront of‍ political discourse.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases