While conservatives have long accused social media platforms of colluding with Democrats, Twitter owner Elon Musk has just provided them with proof.
As journalist Matt Taibbi revealed last week, Musk provided him with emails showing that Twitter staff worked with the Biden campaign to censor negative reporting.
Twitter “handled” requests
Taibbi’s bombshell report came in a series of tweets on Friday which featured screenshots of emails sent by Twitter employees.
One exchange showed that a Twitter employee had been provided with a list of tweets by the Biden campaign that it wanted reviewed. Another employee then responded that the matter had been “handled.”
8. By 2020, requests from connected actors to delete tweets were routine. One executive would write to another: “More to review from the Biden team.” The reply would come back: “Handled.” pic.twitter.com/mnv0YZI4af
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 2, 2022
However, the most egregious examples came in connection with Twitter’s handling of the New York Post’s reporting on Hunter Biden’s laptop.
Taibbi noted how Twitter “took extraordinary steps to suppress the story” around Biden’s laptop, even “removing links and posting warnings that it may be ‘unsafe,'” steps which are normally reserved for malware and child pornography.
18. Twitter took extraordinary steps to suppress the story, removing links and posting warnings that it may be “unsafe.” They even blocked its transmission via direct message, a tool hitherto reserved for extreme cases, e.g. child pornography.
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 3, 2022
Despite initial allegations that the laptop story was Russian disinformation, mainstream media outlets such as CBS News have since confirmed its authenticity.
Republicans promise an investigation
Those revelations led Kentucky Rep. James Comer to tell Fox News host Jason Chaffetz that Twitter employees will be called to testify before the House Oversight Committee when he becomes its chairman next year.
🚨 In January, I can promise you this.
Every @Twitter employee involved in suppressing the Hunter Biden laptop story will have an opportunity to come before @GOPoversight and explain their actions to the American people. @elonmusk has provided facts for Americans. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/xX9i9aQVHU
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) December 3, 2022
“In January, when I become chairman of the House Oversight Committee, I can promise you this: every employee at Twitter that was involved in suppressing the Hunter Biden laptop story will have an opportunity to come before Congress and explain their actions to the American people,” he said.