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☆ James Clapper’s Disinformation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Kimberley A. Strassel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Whether or not GOP House oversight yields answers about 2020 election meddling, it is at least producing some fantastical squirming and finger pointing. See this week’s incredulous Clapper defense. That would be James Clapper , the Obama director of national intelligence, one of 51 former intelligence officials who in October 2020 issued a highly consequential letter. The New York Post had revealed contents of a laptop that belonged to Hunter Biden . With weeks to go in a close presidential campaign, the laptop bomb might have derailed Joe Biden’s White House bid.

Biden's private lawyer disclosed on Saturday that DOJ officials turned up classified documents related both to Biden's vice presidency and even his time in the US Senate. Garland's swift announcement came after earlier news that a second batch of classified documents was found on Biden's property. Here, a timeline lays out Biden's involvement with the classified documents — and how it sometimes overlapped with the turmoil around Trump's classified documents probe. January 14: White House says more classified documents were found in Biden's homeAdditional pages of classified documents were found in Biden's Wilmington home in a storage room next to the garage, The New York Times reported. January 21: DOJ finds 6 more pages of classified documents in Biden's homeFederal investigators searched Biden's Wilmington home on Friday and found half a dozen classified documents, according to Biden's personal attorney, Bob Bauer.

☆ Trump and Kushner's Saudi Ties Are an Ethical Minefield: Watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Weeks after leaving office, Jared Kushner obtained a $2 billion investment from the Saudi government. The Saudi support came despite the kingdom's own financial advisers urging against any investment in Kushner's new company, citing the "inexperience" of its top brass. Let's start with Jared Kushner before we get into the LIV Golf situation. You have John Bolton, Trump's own national security advisor, making it very clear that you had somebody, like Jared — and President Trump, apparently — working to promote their business interests. Trump, not only did he keep his company, the Trump Organization, but he's a transactional president, right?

☆ Key Republican subpoenas Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta and Microsoft for info on alleged collusion with the government to suppress speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The subpoenas, issued to the CEOs of Google -parent Alphabet , Amazon , Apple , Meta and Microsoft , come just months after Jordan initially requested the companies hand over such information voluntarily. "Your response without compulsory process has been woefully inadequate," Jordan wrote in the letters. "In contrast to Alphabet, Twitter recently set a benchmark for how transparent Big Tech companies can be about interactions with government over censorship," Jordan wrote, with similar language in the messages to other companies. "The Twitter Files have exposed how Big Tech and the federal government have worked hand in hand in ways that undermine First Amendment principles. WATCH: If there's less content moderation, there's more brand safety issues for Twitter, says JMP's Boone

☆ DeSantis got a glowing reception during a secretive, high-profile conservative summit at Trump Doral — then the ex-president called in
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

An influential conservative group, the Council for National Policy, held one of its summits this weekend. The Council for National Policy held a summit this weekend at Trump National Doral, a golf club owned by former President Trump that's just on the outskirts of the City of Miami. The Council for National Policy has been meeting for roughly four decades under a shroud of silence in upscale locations three times a year. "President Trump was honored to have the Council for National Policy at the world-renowned Trump National Doral," he said. "Somebody gets you in, you sort of be loyal to that person," Trump said.

☆ A Jewish congressman says Twitter has become a 'hate-filled playground for Nazis and antisemites'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Jewish congressman spoke out against antisemitism on Twitter at a House Oversight hearing last week. "Twitter has become a hate-filled playground for Nazis and antisemites," Moskowitz told CNN. "What happened on Twitter directly after the hearing proves my exact point that antisemitism is real and Twitter has become a hate-filled playground for Nazis and antisemites," Moskowitz told CNN. This includes dozens of Twitter users posting pictures of Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes with the caption "You are Jewish." One Twitter user said in response to that video: "You are the reason anti-semites exists.

☆ GOP Lawmaker’s Two Jobs: Investigating Bidens, Managing Firebrands
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Natalie Andrews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—The Republican leading several investigations related to President Biden and his administration faces the dual challenges of keeping the politically charged probes on track while also managing hard-line conservatives eager to put their own stamp on the proceedings. As part of these probes, Rep. James Comer (R., Ky.) is requesting information and planning hearings to dig into whether the president’s son, Hunter Biden , improperly used his family ties to gain wealth or influence. The chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee says the examination is long overdue, after years of Republicans’ demands for scrutiny of the family. Democrats criticize the effort as a politically motivated sideshow.

☆ James Comer’s Two Jobs: Probe Bidens, Manage GOP Firebrands
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Natalie Andrews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Hunter Biden warns Steve Bannon, Rudy Giuliani, Roger Stone, and 11 others to preserve records for potential litigation following laptop scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hunter Biden's attorney sent notices to 14 people at the center of the laptop scandal. Rudy Giuliani's attorney told Insider that Biden's counsel is "acting out of desperation." The personal life and business dealings of Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's middle child, have been the center of Republican criticism. Twenty days before the 2020 election, the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop became a controversial and confusing political scandal, New York Magazine reported. Rocca, Lowell, Wengui's attorneys, and an attorney for Stone, Bruce S. Rogow, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Hunter Biden Resists First Records Request From House Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Hunter Biden is under GOP scrutiny for some of his business dealings, including serving on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Hunter Biden ‘s legal team on Thursday defied a records request from House Republicans, calling their investigation into his business dealings an “expansive and invasive” quest to turn President Biden’s son into a political weapon. In a letter to the House Oversight Committee, Mr. Biden’s lawyer Abbe Lowell questioned the legitimacy of the Republican-led inquiry into the president and his family, arguing that the investigation lacked a valid legislative purpose. Mr. Lowell repeatedly referred to the younger Mr. Biden as a private citizen and said the information sought by the House panel “is precisely what is prohibited by the Supreme Court.”

Under Musk’s leadership, Twitter has slashed its staff, relaxed some of its content moderation policies and reinstated a number of incendiary accounts that were previously banned. Those moves raised concerns that Musk’s Twitter could contribute to a rise in public displays of hate and antisemitism offline. Musk, however, has repeatedly pushed back at claims that hate speech is rising on the platform. Twitter, which eliminated much of its public relations team during last year’s layoffs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “With this direct and heightened threat environment in mind, how will you work with other stakeholders to combat the rise of antisemitism on Twitter?,” Moskowitz concludes in his letter to Musk.

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - U.S. House Republicans on Thursday stepped up their probes of Democratic President Joe Biden's family and what they allege is partisan bias in federal law enforcement, in moves that the White House dismissed as politically motivated attacks. The Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, James Comer, on Thursday asked Biden's son and brother for documents related to the family's international business dealings. The White House in a memo distributed to allies and seen by Reuters dismissed the hearing as a "political stunt." "Instead of working with President Biden to address the top priorities of the American people - fighting inflation and lowering costs, creating jobs, boosting manufacturing and infrastructure, and protecting and expanding people's health care and rights – this is what House Republicans are focused on," wrote Ian Sims, the White House spokesman on oversight. Reporting by David Morgan and Gram Slattery; Editing by Scott Malone and Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ An ex-Twitter exec told Congress he had to sell his home after a barrage of 'homophobic and antisemitic' harassment over the 'Twitter Files'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A former Twitter exec said "homophobic and antisemitic" harassment forced him to sell his home. Yoel Roth testified to Congress that the release of Elon Musk's "Twitter Files" harmed former staff. During a lengthy hearing related to Twitter's handling with the Hunter Biden laptop story, Roth was asked how the release of Elon Musk's Twitter Files had affected his personal safety. He began by saying that the "Twitter Files" also affected more junior employees at Twitter, and that staff as far away as the Philippines were "doxxed, had their families threatened, and experienced harm equal to or greater than what I've experienced." The "Twitter Files" are a series of tweets released under Musk's leadership about "free speech suppression" on the platform under its previous management.

☆ Former Twitter execs tell Republicans they erred on Hunter Biden laptop story
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Former Twitter executives told a Republican-led U.S. House committee on Wednesday that they made a mistake by blocking tweets about a laptop said to belong to President Joe Biden's son Hunter but said government officials were not involved. The committee's witnesses, three former Twitter executives, said in subpoenaed testimony that they mistakenly believed the Post article contained hacked material and reversed their decision to limit its circulation on the social media platform within 24 hours. "America witnessed a coordinated campaign by social media companies, mainstream news and the intelligence community to suppress and de-legitimize the existence of Hunter Biden's laptop and its contents," committee Chairman James Comer said at the outset of the proceedings. Hunter Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell has denied in a statement any connection between his client and what he called the "so-called laptop," including contents that Republicans "allege to be Mr. Biden's personal data." The Twitter executives also said company policy sought to mitigate content that could lead to political violence, such as what later occurred in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump's supporters.

☆ Former Twitter Executives to Face GOP Scrutiny on Hunter Biden Laptop Decisions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Ryan Tracy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—House Republicans are set Wednesday to launch hearings into what they describe as collusion between social-media companies and Democrats—starting with their scrutiny of the 2020 episode involving Hunter Biden ‘s laptop. Members of the House Oversight Committee plan to question former Twitter Inc. executives over their decision to limit the reach of two 2020 New York Post articles that contained disclosures from the president’s son’s laptop that was dropped off at a Delaware repair shop. The Post and The Wall Street Journal are both owned by News Corp.

☆ Former Twitter Executives Say They Erred in Blocking Links to Hunter Biden Laptop Articles
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Ryan Tracy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former Twitter chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde and other onetime executives at the social-media company spoke Wednesday before a House panel. Former Twitter Inc. executives Wednesday said they erred in limiting the reach of news articles about Hunter Biden ahead of the 2020 presidential election, but denied Republican assertions that there were political motivations involved. Twitter blocked the sharing of links to two New York Post articles containing disclosures from emails found on the laptop of President Biden’s son out of concern that they might have been obtained by hacking, the executives said at hearing convened by the House Oversight Committee.

☆ Republican-led U.S. House panel probes Twitter block of Hunter Biden story
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Even before the proceedings began, the White House denounced the hearing as "a bizarre political stunt" motivated by denial of Biden's 2020 election victory over Republican former President Donald Trump. "America witnessed a coordinated campaign by social media companies, mainstream news, and the intelligence community to suppress and de-legitimize the existence of Hunter Biden's laptop and its contents," Comer said. The former Twitter executives acknowledged that blocking the New York Post tweets was an error and said they reversed the decision within 24 hours. We applied this policy to the New York Post's tweets and blocked links to articles," Gadde said. The social platform has since been purchased by billionaire Elon Musk, who many Republicans view as a champion of free speech.

☆ Republicans held a hearing to prove Twitter’s bias against them. It backfired in spectacular fashion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Despite no real evidence to support this weighty and consequential claim, Republicans were unrelenting in peddling it to the American public. Republicans showed, once again, that they are married to pushing claims that Silicon Valley is intentionally and unjustly censoring conservative views, even when the facts do not contort with their narrative. Ironically, the hearing appeared to reveal that Twitter had acquiesced to Trump and changed its policies after it concluded that he had violated its rules. And the hearing hinted that the Trump White House attempted to censor the speech of at least one American: Chrissy Teigen. Strangely enough, Republicans showed no interest in drilling down on this allegation of censorship.

☆ Trump's White House asked Twitter to remove Chrissy Teigen's expletive-filled tweet insulting the former president, ex-employee testifies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An ex-Twitter employee said Trump's White House asked the company to take down a tweet. Navaroli confirmed on Wednesday that Teigen's expletive-filled tweet was what the White House asked to be removed, though Twitter declined the request. Conservatives have long claimed that social media platforms like Twitter are biased against them, censor their speech and favor liberals. Yet the GOP's push to discuss alleged social media bias against conservatives seemingly backfired during Navaroli's testimony about the Trump White House seeking to remove Teigen's tweet. Three of the four former Twitter officials also testified they had no evidence that Biden's White House had ever asked the company to remove content.

☆ Ex-Twitter employee tells AOC the platform changed its content moderation policy to accommodate Trump's racist 'go back' tweets
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A former top Twitter official said the social network bent its rules for Trump's 2019 racist tweet. "So much for bias against right-wing on Twitter," Ocasio-Cortez said, concluding the line of questioning. The recommendation had been for Trump's tweets to be labeled but allowed to remain on the platform since he was a public figure. Twitter was repeatedly criticized for allowing Trump's tweets to stand. Following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, the social network banned the president "due to the risk of further incitement of violence."

☆ Matt Gaetz lands a spot on Judiciary's new 'weaponization' subcommittee after curious swap by GOP leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Matt Gaetz is now on the Judiciary subcommittee panel he championed during the Speaker vote fight. Gaetz told Insider in late January that he had no interest in serving on the weaponization panel. Before and after screenshots of the House Judiciary Committee's homepage. While Gaetz was also part of that speaker vote rebellion, he initially seemed to emerge with little to show for the procedural showdown. When asked if he felt weird about all the other rebels seemingly climbing the ladder, Gaetz told Insider he preferred not to be saddled with more responsibility — proclaiming that he was "making back benching great again."

Fifty-five percent of adults share that sentiment, while 31% of adults believe the GOP will strike the right balance and 11% say the GOP won't spend enough time on investigating Biden. Majorities of independents and Democrats believe the GOP will spend too much time on investigations into Biden, while a majority of Republicans believe they'll spend too little time. It is also the most popular investigation for Republicans (52%) and independents (30%), but tied for the least important investigation among Democrats, of which only 9% call it the most important investigation. Eleven percent say the GOP won’t spend enough time on investigating Biden. The second-most popular investigation is one into the Department of Homeland Security's handling of the border with Mexico, the selection of 27% of respondents.

☆ Hunter Biden Calls for Probes Into Trump Allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | Annie Linskey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—A lawyer for Hunter Biden urged state and federal prosecutors Wednesday to investigate prominent allies of former President Donald Trump and others who accessed and disseminated the contents of his laptop, alleging they broke the law in an effort to “weaponize” the personal data of Joe Biden’s son during the 2020 election. The series of letters marked a pivot to a newly aggressive strategy for the younger Mr. Biden as he confronts a yearslong Justice Department investigation focused on his taxes, along with separate inquiries by House Republicans into his business dealings.

☆ Hunter Biden Calls for Criminal Probes Into Trump Allies Over Laptop
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | Annie Linskey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—A lawyer for Hunter Biden urged state and federal prosecutors Wednesday to investigate prominent allies of former President Donald Trump and others who accessed and disseminated the contents of his laptop, alleging they broke the law in an effort to “weaponize” the personal data of Joe Biden‘s son during the 2020 election. The series of letters marked a pivot to a newly aggressive strategy for the younger Mr. Biden as he confronts a yearslong Justice Department investigation focused on his taxes, along with separate inquiries by House Republicans into his business dealings.

☆ Hunter Biden demands criminal probe into Trump allies with access to his laptop and retractions from Fox News: reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hunter Biden's lawyers sent letters singling out Trump allies and Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Among the recipients are the Justice Department and Deleware attorney general, WaPo reported. "This marks a new approach by Hunter Biden and his team," a person familiar with Biden's strategy told The Post. Also targeted by Biden's lawyers is Fox News and its host Tucker Carlson. The Justice Department and Delaware attorney general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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