Lauren Boebert joined Cameo. Can members of Congress have side hustles?
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., made a Cameo account for what appears to be less than 24 hours. For that short period, fans of the Colorado representative could ask her a question or get a personalized birthday greeting for a starting fee of $250.
It’s unlikely Boebert would have been able to keep the account, as House rules clearly forbid members from selling their influence. The House Ethics Manual states members cannot receive payment of money or a thing of value for an appearance, speech or article.
The Office Code of Conduct for the House prohibits members from receiving any benefit “by virtue of influence improperly exerted from the position of such individual in Congress.”
In other words, you’re not allowed to make money off being a member of Congress.
There is an entire chapter on earned outside income in the House Ethics Manual. Long story short, it states – “the fundamental purpose of the restrictions and limit is to ensure that Members and staff do not use the influence or prestige of their position with the House for personal gain, and to preclude conflicts of interest.”
As mentioned, members can’t receive anything of value for making an appearance or speech.
They are barred from holding just about any second job except for practicing medicine.
They can write a book as long as the Ethics committee approves the publishing contract.
If a member is able to successfully navigate all those rules, their outside earned income limit is $31,815.
Of course, once members leave, those restrictions go away, and some have taken advantage of the fame they gained while serving. Perhaps one of the best examples is George Santos.
Santos joined Cameo after he was expelled from the House. He describes himself as a former congressional icon and is highly rated with 4.89 out of 5 stars. Santos charged as much as $500 per video and said he once made more money in a week on the platform than he did in an entire year in Congress, which has a $174,000 annual salary.
Matt Gaetz joined the platform after resigning from Congress and dropping out as President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee. For $500, Gaetz will send a holiday greeting, birthday wish or a pep talk.
Of course Gaetz and Santos are former members, so they’re free to make all the videos they want, while Boebert is still obligated to follow the rules of the House.
Supreme Court to deliver rulings on presidential power, abortion, social media
The Supreme Court is set to issue rulings on several high-profile cases. And the closed-door trial for a Wall Street Journal reporter begins in Russia. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, June 26, 2024.
SCOTUS to deliver rulings on presidential power, abortion, social media
It’s decision time at the Supreme Court. Over the next three days, the high court is set to deliver rulings on 14 argued cases — including high-profile ones on subjects like presidential power, abortion care and social media.
As President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump prepare for the first presidential debate on Thursday, June 27, the court is poised to deliver a ruling on Trump’s claims of “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution. With Trump facing federal charges accusing of him of attempts to overturn the 2020 election, the court will decide if a former president can be prosecuted for “official acts” taken while in the White House.
During oral arguments in April, the justices seemed open to the idea of some immunity for presidents when conducting official acts, while questioning what exactly falls under that category.
The Supreme Court will also tackle the legality of a felony obstruction charge used by the Justice Department against 300 people who stormed the capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. A former Pennsylvania police officer has challenged that charge — stemming from a law to prevent the destruction of evidence during financial crimes — which originated during the Enron accounting scandal.
The obstruction charge is one of four former President Trump faces in his federal election subversion case.
Then, for the first time since Roe v. Wade was overturned, the court will issue a ruling on state-level abortion restrictions. The question before the justices is whether doctors can perform abortions in medical emergencies despite a state’s strict near-total abortion ban.
The topic of social media is also on the docket. First, the Supreme Court will determine whether state laws restricting how social media platforms moderate content violate the First Amendment. In another case, the justices will decide whether the Biden administration violated the Constitution in its communication with social media companies to remove misinformation on COVID-19 and the 2020 election.
While the Supreme Court justices usually look to complete their work by the end of June, there is a possibility the opinions may continue to early July.
Wall Street Journal reporter’s espionage trial starts in Russia
The espionage trial of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is now underway in Russia behind closed doors. Gershkovich appeared in a courtroom the morning of Wednesday, June 26, inside a glass cage before the proceedings began.
Falsely accused WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich appeared in a Russian court as proceedings started in a secret trial that will offer him few legal protectionshttps://t.co/CnygQ1pxLJhttps://t.co/CnygQ1pxLJ
He is the first western journalist to be arrested on espionage in post-Soviet Russia.
Gershkovich was arrested while reporting for the Wall Street Journal in March 2023, just weeks before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, accused of spying for the CIA.
The U.S. government, Wall Street Journal and Gershkovich himself all deny the allegations. The State Department has declared him “wrongfully detained.”
His trial is expected to last months. If convicted, Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange free after guilty plea
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returned to his home country of Australia on Wednesday, June 26, a free man. He was released from U.S. custody after pleading guilty to violating espionage law.
— Free Assange – #FreeAssange (@FreeAssangeNews) June 26, 2024
As part of the deal with the Justice Department, Assange will get no more prison time since he already spent the last five years in a London prison fighting extradition to the U.S.
He had originally been facing 18 criminal charges relating to WikiLeaks’ release of sensitive information into the public domain, but only had to plead guilty to one charge as part of the agreement.
Judge partially lifts Trump gag order from New York criminal trial
The judge in former President Donald Trump’s New York criminal case has partially lifted a gag order put in place during the trial.
For the entire trial, Trump was barred from talking about potential witnesses, jurors, or court staff and their families. Now, the former president is allowed to comment publicly about witnesses and jurors.
The judge also left a separate order in place prohibiting Trump and his lawyers from disclosing the identities of jurors or their addresses.
In May, Trump became the first president to be convicted of a felony when the jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts of falsified business records. He’s set to be sentenced July 11.
House committee to vote on holding Biden’s ghostwriter in contempt
The House Judiciary Committee plans to vote on a measure to hold President Biden’s ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, in contempt of Congress. The vote stems from Zwonitzer refusing to hand over documents and other materials tied to his work on the president’s memoirs.
The vote is set for Thursday morning, just hours before Biden and Trump’s debate.
The resolution to hold Zwonitzer in contempt is expected to advance on party lines.
The White House on Tuesday called the vote an attempt “to harass and intimidate a private citizen.”
Results for New York, Colorado, Utah primary elections
Results are in for several states that held primary elections on Tuesday, June 25. In the most expensive congressional primary in history, incumbent Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman lost to George Latimer in New York’s 16th district.
While this race garnered a lot of headlines, tomorrow we turn a new page. We must come together, united to defend our Democratic values from MAGA extremism.
Bowman became the first member of the progressive group in the House known as “the squad” to lose in the primaries this year. During the race, a pro-Israeli lobbying group spent nearly $15 million in efforts to stop Bowman, who had been critical of Israel’s operations in Gaza.
In Colorado, after switching districts, Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert won the House primary in the state’s 4th district. Boebert has previously received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
And in Utah, Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, won the GOP primary to fill Mitt Romney’s open Senate seat. Curtis is favored to win in November since Utah has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1970.
Toys ‘R’ Us uses OpenAI’s Sora to create brand film
Toys”R”Us is known for the slogan “I don’t want to grow up,” but now the toy brand is growing with the times. It used AI to make its latest promotional video.
The retail toy company used OpenAI’s text to video tool called Sora to create the video.
Toys”R”Us released the video at an advertising event in France, saying it is the first ever brand film created by the technology. While Sora is not yet publicly available, the toy chain partnered with an agency that is an early tester of the AI model.
US gray wolves in danger of being taken off endangered species list
In a narrow vote, the U.S House Representatives approved a bill to remove gray wolves from the endangered species list across the lower 48 states. The measure, introduced by Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., was largely supported by Republicans but also backed by a handful of Democrats.
The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate where it faces an uncertain future. In addition, the White House expressed its opposition and argued against Congress determining species recovery.
The debate surrounding the bill reflects a national discourse on the wolves’ future. On one side, some hunters and farmers claim the species is stable and have long voiced concerns over wolf attacks on game species and livestock, and some have also advocated for legalized wolf hunting.
Yet, conservationists argue that the wolf population remains vulnerable after decades of near extinction. They emphasize the species fragile status and warn against premature removal of protections.
This bill follows previous efforts to dismantle wolf protection laws. In 2011, Congress removed Endangered Species Act protection for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains, and the Trump administration extended this to the rest of the continental United States in 2020. Trump’s move was later challenged in court and blocked by a federal judge. However, the judge did keep the removal of protections for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains.
Republicans largely hailed the bill as a conservation success, arguing that wolves have recovered adequately. Democrats, however, remained skeptical, insisting that the species still requires protection from humans.
The bill passed the House 209-205, with a few Democrats crossing the aisle. Yet, despite this narrow victory, its fate in the Senate could be a bigger hurdle. Even if it does pass the Senate, President Joe Biden has threatened to veto the legislation.
Republicans say Speaker Johnson is not weakened by Democratic support
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., was uncharacteristically quiet when she left the House chamber Tuesday, April 30. She told reporters, “I’m headed back to my office,” and kept walking just hours after Democrats announced they would not join her in voting to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., effectively saving his job.
Democratic leadership said it would vote to table the motion to vacate, and added, “If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed.”
“We don’t want to turn the clock back and let Marjorie Taylor Greene dictate the schedule and calendar of what’s ahead,” Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said when explaining the decision. “We want to turn the page and focus on the pressing issues that everyday Americans care about.”
Greene posted on X, formerly Twitter, that she felt Johnson should resign and switch parties. She also hinted she may bring the motion forward anyway.
“I’m a big believer in recorded votes,” Greene wrote.
Johnson assured reporters he did not ask the Democrats for help.
“I’ve not requested assistance from anyone,” Johnson said. “I’m not focused on that at all. I’m focused on getting the job done and getting the legislation passed. There’s no deals at all.”
Conservative Republicans are frustrated with Johnson because he used Democratic votes to pass key pieces of legislation like Ukraine aid and government funding bills. He also didn’t include border security as part of the deal. However, even conservatives said they wouldn’t support the motion to vacate.
“It makes no difference to me if it’s Hakeem Jeffries as speaker or Mike Johnson right now,” Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said. “You know I want Speaker Mike Johnson to do the absolute best. I like Mike, I supported him to be speaker and it’s just really sad seeing the policies that are coming out.”
Those same Republicans also said Democratic support does not weaken Johnson.
“I don’t think it makes him weaker,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said. “I mean, Mike’s, you know, he’s under siege in a lot of different areas and I think he feels that now.”
Moderate Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., flipped the script on conservatives who said Johnson is acting like the Democratic speaker.
“Well, it would require Democrats voting with a handful of Republicans to remove the speaker,” Lawler said.
Part of the conservatives’ calculus for standing behind Johnson is the math. If Johnson were ousted, Republicans don’t have a viable replacement. Those members are also concerned that if any more Republicans resign, they’ll hand the majority to Democrats and the gavel to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
“Absolutely,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said. “Had the margin been bigger, we wouldn’t have had this, y’all wouldn’t be talking to me. You’d be asking me about ‘How can I be so outstanding at congressional baseball, but still be third string?’”
Republican support for Trump immunity claims lower than Colorado ballot case
Republican support for Donald Trump’s presidential immunity case is far lower than it was for his Colorado presidential ballot case. That’s according to amicus briefs filed with the Supreme Court.
Two senators and 26 representatives, all Republicans, signed on to amicus briefs supporting Trump’s claim that he’s immune from prosecution for actions he took as president. The signees include some of Trump’s most loyal supporters including Reps. Byron Donalds, Fla., Lauren Boebert, Colo., and Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ga.
The amount of support is a significant drop from the 42 senators and 136 representatives who signed on to support Trump in the Colorado ballot case. In addition, the ballot case included every member of leadership from both chambers; only one member of leadership signed on to the immunity briefs.
No federally elected officials filed an amicus brief opposing Trump’s immunity claim.
The deadline to file amicus briefs in Trump v. United States was March 19, and the justices are set to hear oral arguments on April 25.
The justices are being asked to answer the following question: “Whether and if so to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office.”
The two briefs filed in support of Trump were filed by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and 26 representatives, and the other by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., on behalf of himself and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
”The Framers were keenly aware of the pitfalls of ancient democracies and republics like Rome, where the political prosecution of Caesar for his official actions ultimately led to the civil war that ended the Roman Republic,” the brief filed by Marshall said.
“The Framers ultimately adopted a mechanism of political accountability for an independent presidency by granting the powers of impeachment, removal, and disqualification to Congress and Congress alone,” the brief continued.
If the justices rule in Trump’s favor, it would end special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of the former president.
Trump is charged with conspiring to defraud the United States, conspiring to disenfranchise voters, and conspiring and attempting to obstruct an official proceeding for his actions surrounding the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol building.
The justices already ruled in Trump’s favor in the Colorado ballot case and he went on to win the state’s primary.
How can a member of the House represent a district they don’t live in?
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., announced she’s going to run in a different congressional district in 2024. Boebert currently represents Colorado’s 3rd District, but she declared her candidacy for the GOP primary in the 4th District.
“It’s the right move for me personally and it’s the right decision for our conservative movement,” Boebert said in a video announcing her decision.
Boebert said she plans to move to the 4th District in the coming months.
How can someone run for office or represent a district they don’t live in? The simple answer is the Constitution doesn’t require it.
Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution lays out three requirements to become a member of the House of Representatives:
The person must be 25 years old.
They must be a citizen for seven years.
They must live in the state in which they were elected.
The Constitution doesn’t say anything about living in the district.
The Supreme Court has multiple rulings that prohibit changes to those rules.
U.S. Term Limits Inc. v. Thornton: The court ruled that states cannot add their own qualifications on top of those already in the Constitution.
After that decision, Missouri voters adopted an amendment to their state Constitution which instructed each member of their congressional delegation to support and work to pass the Congressional Term Limits Amendment.
The change to the state Constitution also required the Missouri secretary of state to put a positive or negative mark next to the candidate’s name on the ballot to indicate their view on term limits. However, the Supreme Court unanimously shot the change down.
Cook v. Gralike: According to Oyez, the justices ruled that placing a mark next to a candidates name was an unconstitutional attempt to regulate electoral outcomes.
Powell v. McCormack: The justices concluded that while the House can expel a member, it cannot exclude a member that meets the three qualifying requirements and was duly elected by their constituents.
Regardless of whether Boebert moves, she’s not the first person seeking to represent a place she doesn’t live in.
Rep. Maxine Waters, D, represents California’s 43rd District, which includes Compton. However, Waters lives north of the line.
Navy Veteran Joe Collins ran against Waters in 2020 and tried to use her place of residence against her.
“Do you know where I am right now? Maxine Waters’ $6 million mansion,” Collins said in a political advertisement. “Do you know where I’m not right now? Maxine Waters’ district.”
Candidates often choose to run in locations where they do not reside for various reasons. Some candidates feel they may have a better chance to win with constituents that better align with their political views. In some cases, candidates did live in the district they represented, but they were drawn out of it due to redistricting.
It’s not clear exactly how many members of the House live somewhere outside their district, but a Washington Post report from 2017 found that it was more than 20 members.
New Illinois law allows some non-citizens to become police officers
A recently signed law in Illinois would allow some non-citizens of the United States in the state to become police officers, something that’s currently forbidden under federal laws. House Bill 3751 successfully passed the Democratic-controlled state House and the state Senate before being signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D-Ill., last week.
The law passed despite criticism from Republicans inside the state and out. One Illinois state senator called it a “fundamentally bad idea” to allow non-citizens to become police officers and arrest a citizen on U.S. soil. The Fraternal Order of Police warned the law would lead to a “crisis of confidence in law enforcement at a time when our officers need all the public confidence they can get.”
“In the state of Illinois, illegals can now become police officers. Yes, you heard that right. People who are breaking the law by their presence here can now arrest American citizens,” Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., tweeted after the bill was signed. “You know the other blue states are watching and getting ready to implement this idea as soon as they can! We either address this border crisis or allow our country to descend further into a Leftist dystopia.”
In the state of Illinois, illegals can now become police officers.
Yes, you heard that right.
People who are breaking the law by their presence here can now arrest American citizens.
You know the other blue states are watching and getting ready to implement this idea as soon…
According to the Straight Arrow News Media Miss™ tool, this story is a Media Miss for the left. The Media Landscape indicates that while right-leaning and center-oriented outlets are covering this story, fewer – if any – left-leaning outlets are reporting on the topic.
The bill’s sponsor has defended it, calling it a “natural progression” of a federal government decision in 2021 to allow some undocumented immigrants to become health care workers and military members.
Under the new law, DACA recipients would also be eligible to become officers. Applicants would have to be legally authorized to work in the U.S. and are subject to all of the other requirements that any other applicant would be.
Straight Arrow News strives to provide unbiased, fact-based news in addition to offering a comprehensive look at how the media is covering stories that matter most. Learn more about the Media Miss™ tool and decide for yourself.
Unity and division within the Republican Party were both on display Wednesday, June 21, as House Republicans voted to censure Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the same day House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., sidelined a resolution calling for the impeachment of President Joe Biden. The censure of Rep. Schiff was for comments he made several years ago about investigations into former President Donald Trump’s ties to Russia.
“The House of Representatives censures Adam Schiff, Representative of the 30th Congressional District of California, for misleading the American public, and for conduct unbecoming of an elected member of the House of Representatives,” Rep. McCarthy said following the 213-209 vote Wednesday. “The Committee on Ethics will conduct an investigation into Representative Adam Schiff’s falsehoods, misrepresentations and abuse of sensitive information.”
With the vote, Schiff becomes the 25th House lawmaker to be censured. During debate, he said he would would wear the censure “vote as a badge of honor.”
“To my Republican colleagues who introduced this resolution, I thank you. You honor me with your enmity. You flatter me with this falsehood,” Schiff said. “You, who are the authors of a big lie about the last election, must condemn the truth tellers, and I stand proudly before you. Your words tell me that I have been effective in the defense of our democracy, and I am grateful.”
Schiff has long been a top Republican political target. Soon after taking back the majority after the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans blocked him from sitting on the House Intelligence Committee.
While Republican united on the Schiff censure vote, the President Biden impeachment resolution revealed a divide. The resolution, brought forward in a surprise effort from Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., charges Biden with “high crimes and misdemeanors” over his handling of the U.S. border with Mexico.
“The numbers are in for May. 170,000 illegals found at the southern borders. Colorado has over 1,800 deaths from fentanyl poisoning. This crisis continues to rage on and on,” Rep. Boebert tweeted Wednesday. “We’ve offered solutions. Democrats refuse to cooperate. The time has come to impeach the president since he refuses to protect this nation.”
A vote on the resolution, which would’ve happened on Thursday, June 22, was not expected to pass. However, Rep. McCarthy negotiated a deal with Boebert to send the resolution or review to the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees.
“You don’t just put something on the floor and say, ‘I’m going to impeach somebody.’ This is one of the most serious things you can do as a member of Congress. And I think you’ve got to go through the process,” McCarthy said. “You’ve got to have your investigation. And throwing something on the floor actually harms the investigation that we’re doing right now. And I don’t want to do anything to harm the investigation.”
Boebert said if the committees act slowly, she’ll bring her resolution back to the floor “every day for the rest of my time here in Congress.”
Race to find lost submarine as oxygen is running out: June 22 rundown
Search and rescue operations in the North Atlantic for a lost submarine continued as the vessel’s remaining oxygen runs out, and the House of Representative voted to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) over his role in investigations of former President Donald Trump. These stories and more highlight the rundown for Thursday, June 22, 2023.
Submarine still missing as deadline approaches
The deadline to find the lost submarine that disappeared on its way to the Titanic wreckage site was fast approaching Thursday morning. The submarine was not only still missing, but running out of oxygen.
Rescue ships and planes have been searching an area twice the size of Connecticut since Sunday, June 18 in waters over 13,000 feet deep. They’ve also had to deal with fog and stormy conditions common to the area of the north Atlantic where the lost submarine vanished.
Underwater sounds had been detected Tuesday, June 20 and Wednesday, June 21, providing hope that there could be a last-minute rescue. While those sounds offered a chance to narrow the search, their exact location and source hasn’t yet been determined.
“The echo from the deep is what’s going to help locate the submarine ultimately. Then a [remotely operated vehicle] is going to need to have to be deployed probably and, hopefully, can assess and maybe assist the submarine in freeing itself if it’s stuck or perhaps somehow helping it drop those weights so it can rise to the surface,” marine geologist Jeffrey Karson said.
Rep. Adam Schiff censured by House Republicans
The House voted along party lines on Wednesday, June 21, to censure Rep. Schiff for pushing claims that former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia.
The resolution passed 213 to 209, with all Democrats voting against the severe condemnation for Schiff. The passed measure also directs the House ethics committee to open an investigation into the California representative. Schiff was also pulled off the intelligence committee earlier this year by the Republican-led House.
Republicans forgo vote to impeach Biden amid internal party struggles
In a surprise motion brought to the House floor, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) called for an impeachment vote of President Joe Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) squashed the idea, sending the impeachment resolution to two House committees for review instead.
The move was expected to fend off an impeachment vote for some time. Rep. Boebert’s resolution was introduced on her own, blindsiding even members of her own party.
Court docs: Kohberger DNA matches sample at scene
Newly-filed court documents in the murder of four college students in Idaho revealed new details linking suspect Bryan Kohberger’s DNA to a near-exact match to the DNA found on a knife sheath at the crime scene. Kohberger is accused of murdering the four students at a home near campus in November of 2022.
Law enforcement officials found a knife sheath on the bed next to two of the bodies. A recent cheek swab taken from Kohberger allowed for a direct DNA comparison, which is described to be an overwhelming statistical match.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday, June 26. A trial date has been set for Monday, Oct. 2.
Tornadoes batter South, 3 dead in north Texas
Another stretch of severe weather has battered parts of the South. At least 11 tornadoes touched down across four states.
Three people died in the small northern Texas town of Matador. At least 10 major structures crumbled during the storm.
Six other tornadoes touched down in Colorado, three in Texas, and one a piece in Wyoming and Nebraska. Hundreds of thousands were left without power following the devastating storm system, all while temperatures in the South lingered in the triple digits.
This was the second time a deadly tornado struck Texas in less than a week. A tornado had left three people dead and more than 100 injured in the state’s panhandle.
FTC sues Amazon, claims millions tricked into prime memberships
Amazon has been sued, accused of tricking millions of people into paying for Amazon Prime subscriptions. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed the lawsuit, accusing Amazon of duping customers into signing up for Prime and charging a $139 annual membership fee. The FTC also said Amazon made it difficult for customers to cancel the membership.
Amazon described the FTC’s claims as “false on the facts and the law.” An Amazon spokesperson said they didn’t find out about the lawsuit until the FTC announced it publicly. The spokesperson added that Amazon will prove its case in court.
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Sen. Mark Kelly says tweets about him by Reps. Massie, Boebert are false
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz, said tweets claiming he asked the Treasury Department about a program to censor information on social media regarding bank runs are false. Kelly told Straight Arrow News his question was specifically about foreign adversaries.
On Sunday, the Treasury Department held a briefing for members of Congress about Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse and the FDIC’s takeover.
“So I said, ‘Hey, our foreign adversaries out there may have an interest in trying to undermine our banking system. Have we put in any protections, have we reached out to social media companies to see if this is something they’re thinking about?’ So that’s the question I asked,” Sen. Kelly said.
When the briefing was over, two members of the House of Representatives accused him of asking about censorship.
“A Democrat Senator essentially asked whether there was a program in place to censor information on social media that could lead to a run on the banks,” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., tweeted.
Just got off of a zoom meeting with Fed, Treasury, FDIC, House, and Senate.
A Democrat Senator essentially asked whether there was a program in place to censor information on social media that could lead to a run on the banks.
“A member asked if the they [sic] were reaching out to Facebook and Twitter to monitor misinformation and ‘bad actors.’ And this administration AGAIN just committed the federal government to interfere with free speech. Unacceptable!” Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., tweeted in part.
But Kelly said his inquiry was specific to countries like China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.
“We know they have been involved in our social media platforms before. If they wanted to undermine our banking system at this critical moment, probably would not be hard for them to do that. So it’s something we just need to be aware of. And I think that it’s important that Treasury reaches out to social media companies to say – do they see any of this activity,” Sen. Kelly said.
Sen. Kelly told SAN he is still waiting to hear from the Treasury Department about possible protections or processes to block foreign interference.