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Rep Jim Jordan grills Biden staffer during hearing
Lawmakers question Robert Flaherty, a apical Biden run staffer who formerly worked astatine the White House, aft saying helium wasn't alert of "any adverse authorities actions" against Elon Musk aft taking implicit Twitter.
Lawmakers grilled a apical staffer connected President Biden's 2024 run for his "astounding" assertion that Elon Musk did not look "any adverse authorities actions" successful effect to changing the outlet's censorship policies.
Robert Flaherty, lawman run manager for Biden's re-election campaign, was pressed by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, connected his remark astir Musk arsenic good arsenic his reported enactment with Facebook to play referee connected rhetoric regarding the COVID-19 pandemic connected societal media.
In his opening statement, Flaherty said, "Twitter's caller proprietor abandoned each its anterior policies related to COVID misinformation implicit a twelvemonth and a fractional ago. That determination was Twitter's to make, and I'm not alert of immoderate adverse actions against Twitter successful effect to it."
Jordan pressed Flaherty connected his statement, calling it "one of the astir ridiculous things I've heard."
BIDEN CENSORSHIP CASE HAS HISTORIC IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF FREE SPEECH, STATE AG SAYS
Robert Flaherty testifies earlier the House Judiciary Committee connected May 1, 2024. (House Judiciary Committee)
"Eight antithetic national agencies person went aft Elon Musk and Twitter since that happened," Jordan said. "And you said successful your grounds that Twitter's caller proprietor – I'm not alert of immoderate adverse actions against Twitter successful effect to it – possibly virtually 1 of the astir ridiculous things I've heard. Every bureau you tin ideate went aft this feline due to the fact that he's advocating for escaped code and the First Amendment."
Flaherty responded that helium stood by his archetypal connection astir Musk.
Jordan pressed the Biden staffer respective times, asking him to supply the explanation of misinformation and wherefore definite mandates were pushed by the administration.
"You weren't a aesculapian expert, but you could suggest to Facebook that they needed to alteration their algorithm truthful that the American radical would not spot worldly from the Daily Wire. They'd lone spot worldly from the New York Times. You tin bash that. But you can't archer maine if they were guessing oregon lying erstwhile they said thing that was perfectly not true," Jordan asked during a House Judiciary Committee proceeding connected the "Weaponization of the Federal Government" connected Wednesday.
Flaherty responded that helium "can't talk to the discussions that were had connected that topic. It's been a mates of years."
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, shared what helium called "smoking-gun documents" that helium said beryllium Facebook censored Americans connected behalf of the Biden administration. (Reuters Photos)
Flaherty played a salient relation successful moving with Facebook connected behalf of the Biden White House regarding the communicative connected societal media arsenic it related to COVID-19, according to Facebook files reviewed by Fox successful 2023.
The files showed conversations betwixt Flaherty and Facebook officials successful which the Biden staffer suggested the tech institution "pay attention" to definite types of conversations, specifically those that expressed hesitancy astir the COVID-19 vaccine and its imaginable broadside effects.
"Since it’s a planetary pandemic, tin we springiness agencies entree to targeting parameters that they usually wouldn’t beryllium capable to?" the then-White House authoritative said successful a conversation.
Robert Flaherty has worked successful respective antithetic roles for President Biden implicit the years. (Kevin Lamarque/File)
Flaherty worked arsenic the "Biden for President" integer manager from 2019 done November 2020, transitioning into his White House relation arsenic adjunct to the president and manager of integer strategy until joining the president's re-election run again successful 2023.
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The Biden administration's speculated engagement with societal media censorship was precocious brought to the Supreme Court successful Murthy v. Missouri, a lawsuit charging the Biden medication with colluding with Big Tech companies to antagonistic definite information. A determination connected the lawsuit is expected successful the summer.
Fox News' Hillary Vaughn contributed to this report.
Aubrie Spady is simply a Production Assistant for Fox News Digital.
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