Disinformation Inc: Rubio and Johnson demand investigation into conservative media blacklists
Gabe Kaminsky
This is part of a Washington Examiner investigative series on self-styled ‘disinformation’ tracking groups that are secretly blacklisting and trying to defund conservative media outlets. Here is where you can read the series.
EXCLUSIVE — Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (FL) and Ron Johnson (WI) are demanding an investigation into the United States government bankrolling an organization that is secretly blacklisting and trying to defund conservative media outlets.
The Global Engagement Center and the National Endowment for Democracy, two State Department-backed entities, have granted $665,000 combined to the Global Disinformation Index, which is feeding conservative website blacklists to advertising companies. Now, Rubio and Johnson are calling for an inquiry into how taxpayer dollars have flowed to GDI, which intends to shut down disfavored speech.
Video Embed
WATCH: INGRAHAM ANGLE TOUTS ‘FANTASTIC’ WASHINGTON EXAMINER REPORT ON STATE DEPT. CENSORSHIP
“Free speech is fundamental to preserving our liberty,” Johnson, ranking member on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, told the Washington Examiner. “If taxpayer dollars are being used to censor voices because they are critical of the administration’s disastrous policies, every American should be concerned. We need to further investigate this potential First Amendment violation.”
GDI compiles a “dynamic exclusion list” that advertising companies have subscribed to. This list, which the Washington Examiner learned it is on, contains websites the group classifies as disinformation peddlers. Separately, GDI has said that the 10 “riskiest” websites are the American Spectator, Newsmax, the Federalist, the American Conservative, One America News, the Blaze, the Daily Wire, RealClearPolitics, Reason, and the New York Post.
Microsoft’s Xandr, an advertising company, has subscribed to this list and helped defund conservative websites. Following the Washington Examiner publishing Xandr’s own blacklist, the company launched an internal review and suspended its relationship with GDI.
“The internet was intended to democratize speech and the State Department has a mandate to stop authoritarian regimes’ attempts to silence it, but we’re now seeing just the opposite as governments and corporations collude to silence certain points of view,” Rubio, vice chairman of the Select Intelligence Committee, told the Washington Examiner.
“Americans deserve a full accounting of how their taxpayer dollars were used, and those responsible for violating the public trust should be held accountable,” Rubio added.
The full scope of GDI’s blacklist remains shielded from the public. However, one senior advisory panel member for the group told the Washington Examiner that media outlets on its “riskiest” list would also “probably” be on the exclusion list.
In recent days, many Republican lawmakers have raised concerns over the government funding GDI. Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said he intends to “press” the Biden administration.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
On a press call with reporters on Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) also addressed the blacklists.
“One of the most disturbing things we’ve seen in recent years is the eagerness of Big Tech to get in bed with Big Government and with Democrats, in the Biden administration, Democrats burrowed into career positions in the Deep State and Democrats in Congress,” said Cruz, who has launched an investigation into social media censorship of conservatives as part of his ranking member role on the Senate Commerce Committee.