Ohio GOP Representative Jim Jordan has unveiled what he calls a “smoking gun,” which the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government has collected against Joe Biden, as reported by Newsweek on Tuesday.
However, skepticism arises as to whether this “evidence” truly holds weight or if it’s merely a strategic move by Republicans to gain political advantage. Critics argue that the evidence presented does not seem to establish any criminal or unethical actions on the part of the Biden administration, but rather appears to be aimed at scoring political points.
Jordan, alongside fellow Republicans, has submitted a legal document as part of an ongoing case known as the State of Missouri v. Biden. This legal action accuses the president’s administration of exceeding its governmental powers by seeking to suppress online information.
As per Jordan and other committee members, the Biden administration pressured Facebook to remove posts suggesting that the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic was the Wuhan Institute of Virology. This particular theory has gained prominence in recent times, particularly supported by Biden’s Department of Energy, which stated in February that it’s probable the virus originated from a laboratory leak.
The legal briefing details instances of direct and coercive pressure exerted by the administration. One example cites an exchange where a Facebook executive questioned the censorship of the COVID lab leak theory in July 2021. In response, an executive responsible for content policy development acknowledged that the company had acted due to pressure from the administration, and even admitted that the action shouldn’t have been taken.
Another email discussed in the briefing involves a Facebook employee allegedly informing CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former COO Sheryl Sandberg that external forces, including the White House and the media, were continually pressuring the company to remove content discouraging COVID-19 vaccination.
As reported by Newsweek, the Biden administration has previously defended its collaboration with social media platforms to curtail or moderate content it considers misinformation during the pandemic.
In July 2021, the former White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, stated during a press briefing, “We’ve enhanced our efforts to research and track disinformation within the office of the Surgeon General. We’re identifying problematic posts on Facebook that spread disinformation. We’re collaborating with medical professionals to connect trusted medical experts with accurate information, amplifying credible content and thus aiding the dissemination of reliable information.”
