The House Judiciary Committee has now reportedly subpoenaed the Attorney General Merrick Garland and the FBI Director Christopher Wray as part of its investigation into the Biden administration’s attempts to combat misinformation.
The Justice Department reacted quickly to the core of the committee’s new probe.
“To develop effective legislation, such as the possible enactment of new statutory limits on the Executive Branch’s ability to work with social media platforms and other companies to restrict the circulation of content and deplatform users, the Committee on the Judiciary must first understand the nature of this collusion and coercion,” Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) wrote in the requests.
The investigation is a result of a lawsuit brought by the states of Missouri and Louisiana that aims to stop the federal government from working with Big Tech firms to spread misinformation.
The Justice Department contends that the endeavor did not impede free expression and stopped more than a year ago. They stated that ultimately it was up to the firms themselves to decide whether or not to take down any hazardous disinformation they had detected.
After the Department of Justice (DOJ) objected to the broad judgment, a higher court promptly enjoined that decision.
The subpoena reiterates a demand made in an April letter, which sought copies of any correspondence the Biden administration had with social media firms.
Additionally, it requests copies of any correspondence pertaining to suspected “misinformation,” as well as a list of all personnel in charge of the FBI and DOJ’s stance on the issue.
[READ MORE: Rep. Comer Now Requesting Key Biden Emails from National Archives]
