Jim Jordan Issues Subpoena to FBI Agent Over Alleged Censorship by Biden Administration
Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan, has issued a subpoena to FBI Agent Elvis Chan after Chan withdrew from a scheduled appearance before the committee.
On Friday, Jordan (R-Ohio) released the subpoena, stating that the executive branch has "coerced and colluded with companies and other intermediaries to censor speech." Jordan wrote, “The Committee on the Judiciary is conducting oversight of how and to what extent the Executive Branch has coerced and colluded with companies and other intermediaries to censor speech. As the primary liaison between the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) and social media companies, you are uniquely positioned to aid the Committee’s oversight.”
Jordan highlighted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government partnered with major social media companies to suppress political opinions that contradicted their own viewpoints. He further asserted that court cases and public reports have "exposed how the federal government has pressured and colluded with Big Tech and other intermediaries to censor certain viewpoints on social and other media in ways that undermine First Amendment principles."
Jordan emphasized the need for Congress to understand the extent to which FBI agents have "coerced, pressured, worked with, or relied upon social media and other tech companies to censor speech."
The subpoena was issued after a planned transcribed interview with Chan was canceled due to a disagreement between the FBI and the Committee over procedural matters.
This subpoena is part of the backdrop of an ongoing court case, Missouri vs Biden, where Republican-led states are challenging the federal government’s influence over social media platforms to suppress political opinions. These opinions are what the Biden Administration claims to be misinformation regarding the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and mask mandates.
