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New emails show DHS created Stanford ‘disinfo’ group that censored speech before 2020 election

New emails show DHS created Stanford ‘disinfo’ group that censored speech before 2020 election​

By
Josh Christenson
Published Nov. 6, 2023, 6:19 p.m. ET

New emails show officials at the Department of Homeland Security created a Stanford University “disinformation” group that censored Americans’ speech before the 2020 election, according to a House Judiciary Committee report exclusively obtained by The Post.
The House panel’s 103-page staff interim report says never-before-seen emails and internal communications were obtained from the group, known as the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP), and show how it worked with DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to flag, suppress and remove online speech in coordination with big tech companies.
One of EIP’s founding partners — the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab — described CISA’s central role in the alleged censorship effort in a July 31, 2020, email.
“I know the Council has a number of efforts on broad policy around the elections, but we just set up an election integrity partnership at the request of DHS/CISA and are in weekly comms to debrief about disinfo,” the lab’s senior director Graham Brookie wrote.
The staff report says, “[T]he federal government and universities pressured social media companies to censor true information, jokes, and political opinions.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) 9
A report from the House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), says new emails show officials at the Department of Homeland Security created a Stanford University “disinformation” group that censored Americans’ speech before the 2020 election.Getty Images
Graham Brookie 9
Graham Brookie, director of the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, described a federal agency’s central role in the alleged censorship effort in a July 31, 2020, email.Atlantic Council
xclusive: New emails show Department of Homeland Security created Stanford disinfo group that censored speech before 2020 election 9
Here is a related email from Atlantic Council DFR Lab Senior Director Graham Brookie.NY Post
Former President Donald Trump 9
The online posts labeled “misinformation” were made by public officials such as former President Donald Trump.Getty Images
“This pressure was largely directed in a way that benefitted one side of the political aisle: true information posted by Republicans and conservatives was labeled as ‘misinformation’ while false information posted by Democrats and liberals was largely unreported and untouched by the censors.”
The “misinformation” posts were made by public officials such as former President Donald Trump, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), media outlets such as Newsmax and The Babylon Bee and many conservative commentators.
The Judiciary report also found that while under the purview of CISA’s Countering Foreign Influence Task Force, the central focus of the feds’ effort was to “censor Americans engaged in core political speech in the lead up to the 2020 election.”
DHS acknowledged that it could not “openly endorse” a centralized portal to flag information in a May 2020 email released in the staff report, which cleared the way for Stanford’s EIP to take up the effort in July of that year.
The task force used a tactic known as “switchboarding” to refer to removal requests from state and local officials to Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, which CISA-CFITF Director Brian Scully confirmed in testimony in the bombshell case Missouri v. Biden.
Brian Scully - Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency 9
Brian Scully, a figure in the controversy, gave testimony in the bombshell case Missouri v. Biden.New Civil Liberties Alliance / Youtube
Exclusive: New emails show Department of Homeland Security created Stanford disinfo group that censored speech before 2020 election 9
Emails in the interim staff report show Scully informing members of the Office of the Colorado Secretary of State that he had flagged parody accounts to Twitter.NY Post
Emails in the interim staff report show Scully informing members of the Office of the Colorado Secretary of State that he had flagged parody accounts to Twitter and advised Facebook to take down a post about the election that was deemed misinformation.
The exchanges show that CISA recognized it was on shaky legal grounds by participating in the effort and chose to add a disclaimer beneath many emails that its requests were “voluntary” and the agency “neither has nor seeks the ability to remove what information is made available on social media platforms.”
However, those emails also included a line that the “information may also be shared with law enforcement or intelligence agencies,” implying those agencies could take action if the posts weren’t removed.
Former CISA Director Chris Krebs, who was fired by Trump after the 2020 election, testified to the subcommittee that “switchboarding” was done before his agency was created as well.
Exclusive: New emails show Department of Homeland Security created Stanford disinfo group that censored speech before 2020 election 9
Exchanges show that group recognized it was on shaky legal ground by participating in the effort and chose to add a disclaimer beneath many emails that its requests were “voluntary.”NY Post
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified in a House Judiciary Committee hearing in July that the agency no longer participates in the practice.
The Judiciary staff report also discloses that Stanford students were working at both CISA and EIP simultaneously.
“Not only were there a number of university students involved with the EIP, at least four of the students were employed by CISA during the operation of EIP, using their government email accounts to communicate with CISA officials and other ‘external stakeholders’ involved with the EIP,” it states.
Fired Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Chris Krebs 9
Former CISA Director Chris Krebs, who was fired by Trump after the 2020 election, testified to the subcommittee.Jim LoScalzo / Greg Nash / Pool via CNP / SplashNews.com
In a statement given to The Post on Monday, CISA Executive Director Brandon Wales said the agency “does not and has never censored speech or facilitated censorship.
“Every day, the men and women of CISA execute the agency’s mission of reducing risk to U.S. critical infrastructure in a way that protects Americans’ freedom of speech, civil rights, civil liberties, and privacy,” Wales said.
“In response to concerns from election officials of all parties regarding foreign influence operations and disinformation that may impact the security of election infrastructure, CISA mitigates the risk of disinformation by sharing information on election literacy and election security with the public and by amplifying the trusted voices of election officials across the nation.”
The “disinfo” organization was led by Stanford University’s Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO) and founded with the help of other academics who communicated directly with Homeland Security officials and members of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC), the report said.
SIO was conceived as a “one-stop shop for local election officials, DHS, and voter protection organizations” to coordinate with social media platforms in the censorship effort, according to its director Alex Stamos, who previously served as chief security officer at Facebook.
In June, Stamos testified to the House subcommittee that CISA’s coordination with the FBI came across as a threat.
Alex Stamos 9
Alex Stamos, who previously served as chief security officer at Facebook, said the idea was to create a “one-stop shop for local election officials, DHS, and voter protection organizations” to coordinate with social media platforms in the censorship effort.REUTERS
“[D]ealing with a law enforcement agency that has coercive powers is just a risky thing to do if you’re part of some big organization and some other — there might be some investigation involving the organization that you don’t even know about,” he said.
“I think all executives of all public companies understand that there’s lots of parts of the government that can punish you for activity that you thought was appropriate.”

Stamos did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump established CISA in 2018 to improve federal cybersecurity programs and protect government software from hackers.
 

nivek

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House censures Rashida Tlaib for criticizing Israel after horrific Hamas terror attack: 22 Democrats join Republicans to condemn progressive lawmaker for incendiary remarks and embracing 'from the river to the sea' chant

Twenty-two Democrats joined Republicans to condemn the progressive Michigan lawmaker in a stunning rebuke of her controversial statements on the conflict in the Middle East. She has also been criticized by the White House and her own party for using the pro-Palestinian chant 'from the river to the sea', that many consider to be an anti-Semitic call for the destruction of Israel. Tlaib is the only Palestinian-American member of Congress and has been heavily critical of both the Biden administration and Israel during the Gaza war. A censure represents a strong rebuke of Tlaib but has no formal punishment. She accused her colleagues of trying to silence her in a defiant speech on the House floor on Tuesday afternoon.

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nivek

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Biden admin ignites fury over invitation to nuclear enemies at vital atomic testing site

A coalition of 18 House Republicans led by GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., are pressing Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm over her agency's invitation for foreign adversaries to inspect a sensitive U.S. nuclear testing site.

In a letter sent Thursday morning, Stefanik and the other Republicans blasted Granholm for recently offering China and Russia "unprecedented access" to the Department of Energy's (DOE) Nevada National Security Site. Bloomberg reported in September that the DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration invited Chinese and Russian officials to tour the site to prove the U.S. is upholding a three-decade moratorium against testing nuclear weapons.

"I am leading my colleagues in demanding that President Biden revoke this misguided invitation to our adversaries in Beijing and Moscow that grants them unprecedented access and insight into our nuclear weapons," Stefanik told Fox News Digital. "Inviting Communist China and Russia to have a front row seat for our sensitive nuclear weapons tests will give them invaluable information on how to defeat our nuclear capabilities and improve their own."

"At a time when our adversaries are growing their nuclear stockpiles to undermine America’s leadership allowing them access to one of our nuclear test sites will only advance this pursuit and lead to our own destruction," she continued.


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nivek

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HUNDREDS of secret reports show how DHSgov, CISAgov, The GEC (StateDept), Stanford and others worked together to censor AMERICANS before the 2020 election, including true information, jokes, and opinions.



According to one EIP member, the EIP was created “at the request of CISA.” The head of the EIP also said that EIP was created after “working on some monitoring ideas with CISA.”



Here’s how it worked:
  1. EIP “stakeholders” (including the federal gov’t) would submit misinformation reports
  2. EIP would “analyze” the report and find similar content across platforms
  3. EIP would submit the report to Big Tech, often with a recommendation on how to censor
You can read all the details in the report here:

THE WEAPONIZATION OF “DISINFORMATION” PSEUDO-EXPERTS AND BUREAUCRATS: HOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PARTNERED WITH UNIVERSITIES TO CENSOR AMERICANS’ POLITICAL SPEECH


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pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
This is easily googled and I won't bother with links this time but isn't it very, very interesting that NYC Mayor Eric Adams had been a vocal critic of the influx of migrants and had been casting shade upon the Biden admin, and now like a bolt out of the blue the FBI has raided the home of his ( 25 year old ) campaign manager and seized her 'electronic devices'. They just recently did the same to him.

Irregularity with campaign finance regarding foreign influence - ain't that a joke. The Turks have been greasing the wheels for construction contracts. Isn't it interesting another prominent Democrat nearby - Menendez - has been accused of the same thing.
 

nivek

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This is easily googled and I won't bother with links this time but isn't it very, very interesting that NYC Mayor Eric Adams had been a vocal critic of the influx of migrants and had been casting shade upon the Biden admin, and now like a bolt out of the blue the FBI has raided the home of his ( 25 year old ) campaign manager and seized her 'electronic devices'. They just recently did the same to him.

Irregularity with campaign finance regarding foreign influence - ain't that a joke. The Turks have been greasing the wheels for construction contracts. Isn't it interesting another prominent Democrat nearby - Menendez - has been accused of the same thing.

This is what happens when you complain about illegals to the Biden regime, they send out the gestapo...:Whistle:

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nivek

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Not AGAIN Biden! President suffers yet another embarrassing gaffe as he appears to get lost while laying wreath for Veterans Day - and has to be given stage directions by Arlington honor guard


Biden, 80, again appeared to suffer a moment of confusion at a Veterans Day service. The President, 80, needed stage directions from a military officer after laying a ceremonial wreath, taking several steps in the wrong direction before he was pointed to his spot next to Vice-President Kamala Harris. Biden delivered his remarks at a time of escalating global tensions, a fact acknowledged by the president as he praised troops who continue to 'stand watch' across the world. 'Americans stand watch around the world, often with great personal peril,' he said. 'War and conflict, death and loss, are not relics of our American history - they're part of our American story.'
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View: https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1723374377058673101


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nivek

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Angry Biden resorts to name-calling after Dem stalwart publicly rebukes him

(Excerpt)

Politico columnist Jonathan Martin hammered President Biden's re-election strategy on Monday and argued that reportedly calling former Obama adviser David Axelrod a "p----" in private was not going to win him votes.

Martin also criticized Biden's decision to debate poll results with the White House press corps, adding that it wouldn't make his victory in 2024 any likelier.

"Calling David Axelrod ‘a p----,’ as a person who has heard Biden use the word says he does in private, is not a strategy to win 270 electoral votes. And repeating a PG version of the same animus in public while litigating polling with the White House press corps also won’t make Biden’s re-election any likelier," Martin wrote in Politico.

"The oldest president in history when he first took the oath, Biden will not be able to govern and campaign in the manner of previous incumbents. He simply does not have the capacity to do it, and his staff doesn’t trust him to even try, as they make clear by blocking him from the press. Biden’s bid will give new meaning to a Rose Garden campaign, and it requires accommodation to that unavoidable fact of life," Martin continued.


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nivek

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Biden again calls his VP 'President Harris' and then mispronounces Kamala's name as he welcomes Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup champions to White House

Joe Biden again referred to his vice president Kamala Harris as 'president' and later bungled the pronunciation of her name - yet again. The presidential flubs came as he welcomed the Las Vegas Gold Knights Stanley Cup champions to the White House on Monday and are part of a series of mistakes on his part when it comes to his running mate. 'President Harris is here to make sure we do it the right way,' Biden said as he kicked off the celebratory event.

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nivek

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DailyMail.com reveals photos of THAT cocaine found in the White House that sparked FBI investigation: Owner of baggy discovered in West Wing phone locker has never been identified

EXCLUSIVE - First photos reveal the COCAINE found in the White House: Images of the baggy
Photos of cocaine found in a phone locker in President Joe Biden's White House this summer can be revealed by DailyMail.com for the first time. The Secret Service included images of the bag of white powder that was found in a cubby hole used to store personal belongings near the White House's West Executive entrance in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. Cocaine was found in locker No. 50 on Sunday, July 2 while the Biden family - including son Hunter - was spending the weekend away at Camp David ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. The discovery prompted an evacuation of the West Wing and street closures surrounding the White House and then triggered an 11-day investigation once the substance was identified as the illicit drug. Documents obtained by DailyMail.com also show the Deputy Director of the FBI Paul Abbate was involved in the investigation, which clouded the Biden administration in scandal this summer. The Secret Service closed the investgation in less than two weeks due to a 'lack of evidence.' The list of suspects had been narrowed down to 500, but security footage wasn't able to determine the owner as cameras do not face the locker area.

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nivek

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Unhappy birthday, Joe? Biden turns 81 with plans for VERY low-key Nantucket celebration, as White House launches 'BUBBLE WRAP strategy' to try and stop president tripping in public

Biden has seen many question his fitness for office due to his age, with polls and pundits suggesting it is a huge problem for the president as he's less than a year from the 2024 election. Notably, when asked to respond to concerns about Biden's age by the New York Times, the White House dodged the question completely while trying to rattle off the president's accomplishments. The Times reported that the White House has launched what it is calling a 'bubble wrap strategy' to try and avoid more of the repeated public trips and falls that have raised questions about the president's fitness for office.

Unhappy birthday, Joe? Biden turns 81 with plans for VERY low-key Nantucket celebration,

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nivek

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Obama advisor David Axelrod shreds Biden's 2024 run AGAIN: Says Joe is trying to 'cheat nature' and only has a '50-50 chance' or LESS of winning a second term

Former Obama adviser David Axelrod warned President Joe Biden that he only has a 50-50 chance of winning re-election and he shouldn't count on Donald Trump helping him win. Axelrod, who has been critical of Biden's age and decision to seek a second term, told New York Times' Maureen Dowd that Hillary Clinton mistakenly thought Trump being the Republican nominee would hand her the election and that Biden should not make the same mistake. 'I think he has a 50-50 shot here, but no better than that, maybe a little worse,' Axelrod said. 'He thinks he can cheat nature here and it's really risky. They've got a real problem if they're counting on Trump to win it for them. I remember Hillary doing that, too.'



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nivek

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Biden's support from Gen Z erodes as age becomes critical issue: 'He's out of touch with basically everybody'

Recent polls look dismal for President Biden as former President Trump has taken the lead in a hypothetical matchup, indicating bad news for Democrats with Biden's support among key groups slipping.

One recent poll of registered voters between the ages of 18 to 34 indicated the former president and current Republican frontrunner leads by four percentage points over Biden, adding to evidence that the incumbent's support among key groups that helped him reach the Oval Office could be in jeopardy.

"I think that Joe Biden is really out of touch with not only the younger generation, but basically everybody," Alexandria Chung, a Gen Z voter, told FOX News on Monday. "I think that, on the left, so many people feel disengaged from his politics and what he is advocating for, and I think we are all just looking to see a new face who will unite the country."

But Democrats counter the calls for a fresh face by arguing Biden's ideas are young despite his age. Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, for instance, touched on the issue by calling out staunchly conservative Reps. Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz and J.D. Vance, saying, "What they stand for is old and ugly."

"What do you think about this strategy?" Carley Shimkus, co-anchor of "FOX & Friends First" asked the panel of Gen Z voters appearing along with Chung as she mentioned Pritzker's remarks.

Panelist Christian Hodges responded, saying it wouldn't work.

"If it does, it's because the Democrats control the media," he said. "We ought to be focusing on the fact that this not about the age of the president, not about the age of the candidate. It's about the competence of the president. Is Joe Biden able to hold the office of president? Is his mind sharp enough? I don't think so.

"I think many Gen Z'ers are waking up to this because their greatest strength is their awareness. So I pray that all generations wake up to this, not just one or two," he continued.


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nivek

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