Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan launches probe targeting DOJ for spying on Congressional staffers
Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, has issued demands to five major tech companies. He called on AT&T, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Apple, Verizon and T-Mobile to provide information that may reveal surveillance tactics sanctioned by the Department of Justice (DOJ) against congressional representatives and their staff.
This request for transparency comes in response to recent revelations that six-year-old subpoenas allowed the DOJ to access personal phone and email accounts of several lawmakers and their official aides. Jordan’s account of the situation suggests that the DOJ’s actions were strategically aimed at congressional individuals who were investigating the agency’s handling of the Russia collusion investigation.
According to Jordan’s theory, these actions violated the clear boundaries set by the Constitution’s principle of separated powers and the independent oversight role of Congress over federal agencies. Jordan expressed his objections in letters addressed to the CEOs of these tech companies.
“The Justice Department’s efforts to access the private communications of congressional staffers, including those overseeing the Department, are entirely unacceptable. This not only contravenes fundamental separation of powers principles but also infringes on Congress’s constitutional authority to oversee the Department,” he said. (Related: Big Tech companies like Facebook and Twitter overwhelmingly infiltrated with federal agents posing as “employees.”)
Jordan also raised concerns about the DOJ obtaining private emails and records from staffers working with the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, who were examining the Department’s “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation. “These revelations strongly suggest that the Justice Department misused its law-enforcement authority to surveil those entities tasked with holding it accountable,” he said.
These troubling revelations highlight an alarming overreach of surveillance, a blatant infringement on privacy, and a significant disruption of the checks-and-balances system. This has intensified the demand for corporate accountability and the preservation of congressional independence.
Jordan digs deeper on collusion between Big Tech and Biden administration
Last December, Jordan sent a letter to major tech companies, seeking information about what he referred to as “the nature and extent of your companies’ collusion with the Biden administration.”
He demanded documents and communications dating back to January 2020 between the companies’ employees, contractors and anyone associated with the executive branch of the government. The focus was on matters related to “moderation, deletion, suppression, restriction or reduced circulation of content.”
Additionally, Jordan requested a list of individuals within the companies responsible for developing content moderation policies, both in the present and the past, as well as details about any third-party groups, companies or individuals consulted regarding content moderation policies.
Jordan emphasized that the letter also serves as a formal request to preserve both existing and future records on these topics.
The lawmaker has been a vocal critic of Big Tech companies, accusing them of censoring conservative voices online. He expressed support for billionaire Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, as Musk has identified as a free speech advocate and aligned with many conservatives who have voiced concerns about excessive content moderation. However, even Musk has removed content from the platform, including recently suspending an account that tracked his private jet, despite pledging not to do so.
Major tech companies have repeatedly refuted allegations of bias and maintained that they enforce their community guidelines as outlined in their policies.
While discussions about alleged censorship on tech platforms have taken a back seat during the Democratic control of both chambers of Congress, Jordan’s letters suggest that this issue is likely to regain prominence under Republican leadership in the House.
However, the passage of legislation to weaken tech companies’ legal protections for content moderation remains uncertain, particularly with Democrats maintaining control of the Senate, as both sides have differing ideas about how to amend this law.
Watch Rep. Jim Jordan as he talks about censorship.
This video is from the Red Voice Media channel on Brighteon.com.
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