GOP to Facebook: Turn over your FBI conversations

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

In a recent speech that someone wrote for him, President Joe Biden demanded that Republicans support the FBI and be “on the side of the police” or be branded as being “on the side of the mob.” Apparently, Merrick Garland’s previous demand that people stop criticizing the FBI wasn’t considered a strong enough demand in defiance of the First Amendment. Senate Republicans didn’t spend too much time mulling over these marching orders before delivering a rebuttle. The response wasn’t directed at Biden or even Garland, however. They sent their own demand to Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook. They want Facebook to turn over records of their conversations with the FBI regarding the government’s false claims that the Hunter Biden laptop story was “Russian disinformation.” So apparently, the battle lines have been drawn. (Daily Wire)

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Republican senators are demanding that Facebook turn over its communications with the FBI regarding Hunter Biden’s laptop.

“The American people deserve to know whether the FBI used Facebook as part of their alleged plan to discredit information about Hunter Biden,” Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) wrote to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Facebook did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Daily Wire. Mark Zuckerberg’s admission to podcast host Joe Rogan that Facebook decreased distribution of the Hunter Biden laptop story ahead of the 2020 election at the bidding of the FBI has sparked a massive backlash.

The senators were specifically asking for “all records between and among Facebook, the FBI, the DOJ, and government agency employees that referred to Hunter Biden.” They want Facebook to turn over anything related to the laptop, references to “Russian disinformation,” and investigations into Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings.

It’s unclear, however, how much actual documentation might exist, if any. During Zuckerberg’s interview when he first revealed what happened, he stated that there was no written or electronic correspondence between the FBI and Facebook. It was all done over the phone. It’s certainly possible that the person or people who received the calls might have documented them in an internal memo, but can Congress simply demand a private corporation’s internal documents? That sounds like something that would have to be handled by the Justice Department as part of an investigation if there are allegations of a crime taking place. Of course, that would hand the matter back to Merrick Garland and it would probably die on the vine once again.

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None of this will be getting the FBI out of hot water, however, or at least not in the near future. Consider the fact that all of this is happening while a senior FBI agent was being “walked out the door” amid an investigation over alleged political bias. (Washington Times)

A senior FBI official in the bureau’s Washington field office has abruptly resigned after coming under congressional scrutiny for suspected political bias in handling the investigation of Hunter Biden‘s computer laptop.

The Washington Times learned that Timothy Thibault, an assistant special agent in charge, was forced to leave his post, according to two former FBI officials familiar with the situation.

Mr. Thibault was seen exiting the bureau’s elevator on Friday, escorted by two or three “headquarters-looking types,” according to eyewitness accounts provided to one of the former officials.

Thibault had been on leave for the better part of a month already. Official statements suggest that he “resigned” from his post at the FBI and that may technically be true. But witnesses describe seeing him being “walked out” of the building. Others are saying he was “forced to leave his post.” That doesn’t sound like the situation you would encounter if someone was simply turning in their notice to go spend more time with their family.

But if he really was involved in covering up or discrediting the laptop story, would you fire him over that? Doesn’t that make it at least possible that Thibault would be left with some sour grapes and an ax to grind? If he suddenly starts showing up on Fox News and describing anything he may have done along those lines, heads may start rolling. It’s an intriguing possibility, so stay tuned. I think we’re still only in act two of this play.

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Ed Morrissey 10:00 PM | November 22, 2024
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