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EXCLUSIVE: Republican-led states are threatening to sue the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new “Disinformation Governance Council,” which they deem “un-American” and hampers Americans’ free speech.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares leads GOP attorneys general in sending a letter Thursday to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas demanding that the department “stop taking action” contributing to a “chilling effect” on the freedom of expression.
“This is an unacceptable and downright alarming encroachment on the right of every citizen to express their opinions, engage in political debate and disagree with the government,” the 20 attorneys general write in a letter obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital.
HOMELAND SECURITY REPUBLICANS SEEK INFORMATION ON MAYORKAS DISINFO COUNCIL, ASK FOR LIST OF SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES
Republicans are concerned about the timing of the council’s creation, saying it comes after the Biden administration “flagged problematic posts” on social media and worked with big tech companies and the private sector to remove the ” misinformation” from its platforms.
Jason Miyares, candidate for Republican Attorney General of Virginia
(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Additionally, they say the timing is suspicious due to Telsa CEO Elon Musk’s recent acquisition of Twitter and his commitment to ensuring free speech and transparency on the platform.
“Suddenly, as Elon Musk prepares to acquire Twitter with the stated aim of fixing the platform’s free speech censorship, you announce the creation of the Disinformation Governance Council. As the Biden administration apparently loses a key ally in its campaign to suppress speech, which it deems ‘problematic’, you have created a new government body to continue this work within the federal government,” the letter to Mayorkas reads.
“It is difficult to explain the simultaneous occurrence of these two events as mere coincidence. Rather, it raises troubling questions about the extent of the Biden administration’s practice of coordinating with private sector companies to suppress speech. unfavorable.”
The attorneys general also say that “no statutory authority” exists to support the establishment of the council, making it illegal.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testifies before the House Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Washington
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
They also take issue with board executive director Nina Jankowicz, who they say is ‘often wrong but never in doubt’, pointing to her previous suggestions that Hunter Biden’s laptop was the product of a misinformation campaign and that the COVID-19 lab leak theory was invented to politically aid former President Trump.
“Unless you step back now and immediately disband this Orwellian Disinformation Governance Council, the undersigned will have no choice but to consider legal remedies to protect the rights of their citizens,” the authors conclude. attorneys general.
Republican members of the House Homeland Security Committee also wrote a letter to Mayorkas on Thursday demanding that DHS provide basic information to the committee, including the disinformation committee’s organization, membership, timeline and recommendations.
“Your recent testimonies and statements to the media regarding the Board of Directors, as well as a recent briefing for committee staff, have only created more questions and concerns,” the letter, led by Rep. from ranking members Jon Katko, RN.Y., and exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.
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The White House has defended the DHS board, saying this week it would operate in a “nonpartisan,” “apolitical” manner.
US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“What that would do is carry on [CISA’s] work, and it would help coordinate the department’s internal activities related to disinformation that poses a threat to the homeland,” Psaki said Monday. “The mandate is not to judge what is true or false, online or otherwise. It will operate in a non-partisan and apolitical manner. It’s basically meant to coordinate a lot of the work that’s going on.”
DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the letter on Thursday.
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