The Biden administration is facing serious scrutiny over accusations that its State Department engaged in censorship, allegedly funding efforts to blacklist conservative media outlets. These claims center on the department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC), which is accused of supporting groups like the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) to label Republican-leaning media as purveyors of "disinformation," effectively blackballing them from major advertisers.
The controversy intensified after investigative journalist Gabe Kaminsky, of the Washington Examiner, and Matt Taibbi, famous for exposing Twitter censorship, revealed that the GEC had awarded a $100,000 grant to GDI. GDI then reportedly compiled a list of conservative outlets to be excluded from advertising opportunities. Kaminsky’s reporting, bolstered by records from public inquiries, showed how this list targeted prominent Republican voices under the guise of combating foreign disinformation.
Conservative, right wing figures, and owners of certain social media platforms đmisquoting a Snopes story debunking that Trump called neo Nazis âvery fine people.â
The way Biden tells it, that Trump said there were âvery fine people on both sides,â is accurate pic.twitter.com/DywtcLaIcJ
— Salvador Hernandez (@SalHernandez) August 20, 2024
Kaminsky’s findings have led Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), to condemn the administration. Banks called the department’s actions "un-American," accusing it of equating critiques of its policies with Russian propaganda. He asserted that these activities were an effort to censor conservative Americans.
The State Department, however, has denied these allegations, maintaining that the GEC's role is to counter foreign disinformation, not suppress domestic media. A State Department spokesperson responded that the GEC is focused on external threats and has never engaged in any form of censorship against U.S. journalists.
CNN contributor not impressed with Biden:
"He was obsessed with his political rival more than he was obsessed with the condition of the American people — it was so weird. This guy lectures us on unity and he gives the most partisan convention speech.." pic.twitter.com/45RsefaMTi
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) March 8, 2024
Furthermore, the department rejected claims that it had targeted specific outlets, arguing that Kaminsky’s investigative team did not seek an interview with officials, though Kaminsky refuted this by stating that repeated requests for information were ignored.
The scandal has sparked a broader investigation led by congressional Republicans, who are looking into whether the GEC has overstepped its mandate. They are particularly concerned about potential First Amendment violations and are considering defunding the GEC in future budget appropriations. Key lawmakers have pointed out that although the GEC's stated mission is to combat foreign disinformation, the money it distributes can easily be used in ways that impact domestic discourse, especially through indirect channels.
This is not the first time the GEC has faced backlash. It has been implicated in multiple reports suggesting that it has funded organizations with a history of labeling right-wing viewpoints as "misinformation." One example involves the collaboration between the GEC and NewsGuard, a company that ranks news outlets by their reliability, which some conservatives argue is biased against them.
The debate over whether the Biden administration has been involved in domestic censorship via the GEC has galvanized conservative media and lawmakers. Critics argue that federal funds should never be used in a way that could restrict free speech, even under the guise of combating misinformation. The administration, meanwhile, is standing firm, asserting that the GEC's activities are purely focused on international threats, not domestic politics.
