House Oversight Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-comer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Comer</a> (R-KY) introduced on Wednesday his resolution to hold <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> Director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christopher-wray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christopher Wray</a> in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/comer-goes-scorched-earth-against-fbi-over-biden-ukraine-bribery-allegations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contempt of Congress</a> for not producing a document containing bribery allegations against President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a>.
Lawmakers will consider penalizing Wray for refusing to comply with a subpoena during a business meeting scheduled to take place Thursday at 9 a.m. ET on Capitol Hill, according to a press release from the oversight panel.
“Americans have lost trust in the FBI’s ability to enforce the law impartially and demand answers, transparency, and accountability,&#8221; Comer said. &#8220;The Oversight Committee must follow the facts for the American people and ensure the federal government is held accountable.&#8221;
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Americans have lost trust in the FBI’s ability to enforce the law impartially and demand accountability. <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GOPoversight</a> must follow the facts and ensure the government is held accountable.
I just introduced the Resolution to hold FBI Director Wray in contempt of Congress. <a href="https://t.co/cj9qNXc3xi">pic.twitter.com/cj9qNXc3xi</a>
&mdash; Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer/status/1666446493581025285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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So far, according to Comer, the FBI has been willing to show the committee a redacted version of the record, but not produce it to Congress, and only acknowledged its existence a week ago.
The FBI says an &#8220;escalation to a contempt vote under these circumstances is unwarranted&#8221; as it &#8220;demonstrated&#8221; a commitment to accommodate the Oversight Committee&#8217;s request while also taking precautions &#8220;often employed in response to congressional requests and in court proceedings to protect important concerns, such as the physical safety of sources and the integrity of investigations.&#8221;
The record sought by Comer is an FBI FD-1023 form, which is used to record information from a confidential human source. This particular form references &#8220;June 30, 2020&#8221; and &#8220;five million&#8221; — an apparent date and dollar amount in an alleged scheme in which a foreign national offered Biden money in exchange for certain actions at a time when he was vice president.
Comer says the document <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/james-comer-joe-biden-FBI/2023/06/06/id/1122543/">pertains</a> to Ukraine with the allegations that fit a pattern seen with other countries, such as Romania, regarding <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-raise-alarm-about-biden-family-after-treasury-visit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspicious transactions</a> involving millions of dollars funneled through banks and shell companies linked to members of Biden&#8217;s family.
Without the FD-1023 record sought by Comer, the committee cannot determine whether or not the allegations it contains pose a national security risk, and the panel is hindered in its ability to gather more evidence that could inform future legislation that could strengthen disclosure requirements, says a report that <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Oversight-Resolution-6.7.2023.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accompanied the resolution</a> on Wednesday.
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The 17-page report, which explains the background of the month-long standoff over the subpoena and the committee&#8217;s rationale for moving forward with contempt, also divulges that Biden&#8217;s son Hunter is tied to the allegations.
&#8220;The details of the allegations span meetings and conversations that occurred over several years,&#8221; the report says. &#8220;The allegations in the FD-1023 form are complex; detail business ventures; reference large payment amounts and the reasons why the foreign national is financially involved with Joe Biden and Hunter Biden; and discuss the financial complexity of the alleged scheme.&#8221;
The younger Biden&#8217;s tax affairs are under investigation by U.S. Attorney David Weiss in Delaware, where former Attorney General William Barr <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2023/06/07/exclusive-bill-barr-confirms-rep-jamie-raskin-lied-about-biden-family-corruption-investigation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Federalist</a> he relayed an inquiry into the allegations. Comer says FBI officials have conveyed to Congress the FD-1023 form is &#8220;currently being used in an ongoing investigation.&#8221;
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, reviewed the document and was briefed by the FBI alongside Comer in secured space on Capitol Hill on Monday. Afterwards, he said the chairman is willfully ignoring the &#8220;legitimate law enforcement concerns&#8221; by the FBI and &#8220;has declared his intent to hold Director Wray in contempt of Congress to further promote debunked Republican conspiracy theories.&#8221;
The president&#8217;s team has dismissed Comer&#8217;s inquiry as a political exercise. &#8220;This is yet another fact-free stunt staged by Chairman Comer not to conduct legitimate oversight, but to spread thin innuendo to try to damage the President politically and get himself media attention,&#8221; White House spokesman Ian Sams <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/white-house-dismisses-comers-comments-stunt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a statement</a> this week.
If the contempt resolution advances through the Oversight Committee, the process would move to the House floor as early as next week, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/mccarthy-pledges-thursday-contempt-charge-if-fbis-wray-dawdles-further-on-biden-bribe-doc">told Fox News</a>. If the chamber, which is narrowly controlled by Republicans, were to approve a criminal contempt referral to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Wray could <a href="https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2019/06/house-panel-contempt-efforts/">face</a> a fine and up to a year&#8217;s imprisonment if federal prosecutors take up the case. There are also other forms of recourse, including civil enforcement, according to the American Bar Association.

James Comer

Comer Introduces Contempt Resolution Against FBI Director

Christopher Wray

Congress

Hunter Biden

Joe Biden

Politics

A standoff pitting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congress</a> against federal law enforcement over the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a>&#8216;s refusal to produce to lawmakers a file containing allegations of corruption involving President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a> is set to escalate in the coming days.
Emerging from a briefing with the FBI at the U.S. Capitol on Monday, House Oversight Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-comer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Comer</a> (R-KY) announced his committee will move forward with holding FBI Director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christopher-wray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christopher Wray</a> in contempt of Congress because the bureau is defying a subpoena for the document that he <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/house-republicans-subpoena-fbi-whistleblower-form-detailing-allegations-of-biden-bribery-scheme-with-foreign-national/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued early last month</a>.
&#8220;Given the severity and complexity of the allegations contained within this record, Congress must investigate further,&#8221; Comer declared in a statement after the FBI allowed him and the top Democrat on the oversight panel, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), to view the file in a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/05/politics/christopher-wray-contempt-james-comer-house-republicans/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secure room</a> at the U.S. Capitol but not take custody of it.
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🚨🚨🚨
The FBI confirmed the unclassified record alleging then-VP Biden engaged in a $5 million bribery scheme is from a highly credible informant &amp; being used in an ongoing investigation. 
The FBI refused to hand over the doc.
I will hold Director Wray in contempt of Congress <a href="https://t.co/2p1fNdmBJ1">pic.twitter.com/2p1fNdmBJ1</a>
&mdash; Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer/status/1665781931236007936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The FBI said an &#8220;escalation to a contempt vote under these circumstances is unwarranted&#8221; as it &#8220;demonstrated&#8221; a commitment to accommodate the Oversight Committee&#8217;s request while also taking precautions &#8220;often employed in response to congressional requests and in court proceedings to protect important concerns, such as the physical safety of sources and the integrity of investigations.&#8221;
Raskin, who may soon <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/06/03/jamie-raskin-cancer-maryland-senate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declare a bid for the Senate</a>, disparaged Comer in a statement, saying the chairman is willfully ignoring the &#8220;legitimate law enforcement concerns&#8221; by the FBI. &#8220;Chairman Comer has declared his intent to hold Director Wray in contempt of Congress to further promote debunked Republican conspiracy theories,&#8221; he added.
The oversight panel is expected to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/05/fbi-comer-contempt-wray-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initiate contempt hearings</a> on Thursday. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/mccarthy-pledges-thursday-contempt-charge-if-fbis-wray-dawdles-further-on-biden-bribe-doc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)</a> told Fox News the full House <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/mccarthy-pledges-thursday-contempt-charge-if-fbis-wray-dawdles-further-on-biden-bribe-doc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will take up the issue next week</a>. If the chamber, which is narrowly controlled by Republicans, were to <a href="https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2019/06/house-panel-contempt-efforts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approve a criminal contempt referral</a> to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Wray could face a fine and up to a year&#8217;s imprisonment if federal prosecutors take up the case. There are also other forms of recourse, including civil enforcement, <a href="https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2019/06/house-panel-contempt-efforts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the American Bar Association</a>.
Such a rebuke of the bureau&#8217;s chief could happen as some GOP lawmakers are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nothing-is-off-the-table-jim-jordan-outlines-response-to-durham-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talking about defunding</a> or disbanding the FBI amid concerns about the agency becoming politically weaponized as underscored by special counsel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/legendary-reporter-claims-durhams-reluctance-to-probe-clinton-fbi-alliance-irked-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Durham&#8217;s recent report</a> on the Russia investigation.
Prompted to take action by whistleblower disclosures, Comer says the unclassified record he wants to obtain describes an alleged scheme involving Biden, dating back to his time as vice president, and a foreign national. The file references some variant of &#8220;five million&#8221; and &#8220;June 30, 2020,&#8221; Comer disclosed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/comer-puts-dollar-amount-on-alleged-biden-bribery-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a recent letter to Wray</a>. &#8220;These terms relate to the date on the FD-1023 form and its reference to the amount of money the foreign national allegedly paid to receive the desired policy outcome,&#8221; he added.
The date mentioned by Comer lands on the calendar about two weeks after Ukrainian officials announced there had been a $5 million bribe aimed at ending an investigation into the founder of Burisma Holdings, the same Ukrainian gas company at which Biden’s son, Hunter, served on the board for several years. At the time, Ukrainian anti-corruption prosecutor Nazar Kholodnytsky said a handful of suspects had been detained but stressed that “Biden Jr. and Biden Sr. do not appear in this particular proceeding,” <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-corruption-probe/ukraine-alleges-5-million-bribe-over-burisma-no-biden-link-idUSKBN23K0KI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Reuters</a>.
On Tuesday, Comer confirmed the document pertains to Ukraine and that it fits a pattern seen with other countries, such as Romania, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-raise-alarm-about-biden-family-after-treasury-visit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspicious transactions</a> involving millions of dollars that have been linked to members of Biden&#8217;s family. &#8220;In this [file] I got to view yesterday, the oligarch who allegedly bribed Joe Biden when he was vice president said that he would make it almost impossible for anyone to find because they were gonna launder it through a series of banks and a series of shell companies,&#8221; <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/james-comer-joe-biden-fbi/2023/06/06/id/1122543/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he told Newsmax</a>.
Raskin said FBI officials shared that the DOJ under the Trump administration looked into the information from a confidential human source about conversations with individuals in Ukraine and top brass signed off on closing an assessment in August 2020 after investigators were unable to corroborate the claims.
The Democrat also said much of the information mirrors allegations that Rudy Giuliani, who served as a personal lawyer to former President Trump, brought forward along with Andrii Derkach, a Russian-backed Ukrainian politician now <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-russian-backed-ukrainian-oligarch-bought-two-california-condos-used-convoluted-scheme-to-get-around-u-s-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sanctioned by the United States</a>, around the time of the Ukraine-focused impeachment inquiry.
“We now know what I had long suspected: that Chairman Comer’s subpoena is about recycling stale and debunked Burisma conspiracy theories long peddled by Rudy Giuliani and a Russian agent, sanctioned by former President Trump’s own Treasury Department, as part of the effort to smear President Biden and help Mr. Trump’s reelection campaign,&#8221; Raskin said.
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Raskin with new statement about document/allegation at the center of GOP move to hold Wray in contempt: <a href="https://t.co/NQXUij2CGM">pic.twitter.com/NQXUij2CGM</a>
&mdash; Jordain Carney (@jordainc) <a href="https://twitter.com/jordainc/status/1665833049152532480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Comer insisted that FBI officials confirmed the allegations have &#8220;not been disproven.&#8221; Further, the information comes from a &#8220;trusted, highly credible informant who has been used by the FBI for years,&#8221; the chairman said. And, according to Comer, FBI officials stated &#8220;several times the information&#8221; contained within the FD-1023 form is &#8220;currently being used in an ongoing investigation.&#8221;
Though the chairman did not divulge what active investigation that may be, it is known that U.S. Attorney David Weiss in Delaware is looking into the tax affairs of Biden&#8217;s adult son Hunter, who says he expects to be cleared of wrongdoing.
The president&#8217;s team has dismissed Comer&#8217;s inquiry as nothing more than a political exercise. &#8220;This is yet another fact-free stunt staged by Chairman Comer not to conduct legitimate oversight, but to spread thin innuendo to try to damage the President politically and get himself media attention,&#8221; White House spokesman Ian Sams <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/white-house-dismisses-comers-comments-stunt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a statement</a> this week.
One of Comer&#8217;s GOP colleagues on the House Oversight Committee suggested the FBI fears that the stakes are considerably high for its informant at the center of the controversy.
&#8220;Just left [a] meeting for House Oversight. The [FBI] is afraid their informant will be killed if unmasked, based on the info he has brought forward about the Biden family,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLuna/status/1665830527117434881" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) tweeted on Monday</a>.

Comer Goes Scorched-Earth Against FBI Over Biden-Ukraine Bribery Allegations

Readers Pass

U.S.

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/great-at-killing-jobs-shark-tanks-kevin-oleary-rips-aoc-dems-on-cnn-airwaves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Shark Tank&#8221; investor Kevin O&#8217;Leary</a> said companies are paying close attention to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/target" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Target</a>&#8216;s &#8220;stunning&#8221; market plunge amid a &#8220;Pride&#8221; collection controversy.
&#8220;The future brings a complete change in the thinking of corporate America, particularly S&amp;P 500 public companies,&#8221; the chairman of O&#8217;Leary Ventures <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/targets-stunning-15b-collapse-warning-ceos-shark-tank-star" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Fox News host Jesse Watters</a> on Monday.
&#8220;How this happened is being scrutinized by lots of other boards right now,&#8221; O&#8217;Leary said. &#8220;And it&#8217;s a discussion that&#8217;s going on every day with institutional investors.&#8221;
In recent weeks, Target lost around $13 billion in market value, a precipitous drop since <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-02/target-sheds-14-billion-in-value-on-retail-woes-lgbtq-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporting its earnings last month</a>, leaving its market cap <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/target-shares-plunge-2-market-cap-down-over-13-billion-amid-pride-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at around $60 billion</a>. Though some analysts say <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/02/business/target-stock-fact-check-lgbt-backlash/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broader economic conditions</a> are at play, the plunge coincides with a wave of backlash and calls for a boycott over Target&#8217;s Pride Month collection, which led the Minneapolis-based retailer to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/target-pride-collection-lgbtq-merchandise-backlash-cf4a19844579e6041c6938b13568e17c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pull some of its LGBTQ+ merchandise</a>. JP Morgan even <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/targets-stock-on-its-longest-losing-streak-in-23-years-downgraded-at-jpmorgan-18860151" target="_blank" rel="noopener">downgraded Target Corp.&#8217;s stock</a>, citing &#8220;consumer pressures and recent company controversies.&#8221;
O&#8217;Leary explained how the Target controversy shows companies are faced with the challenge of striking a delicate balance in showing &#8220;support of diversity in all the mandates that society is discussing openly&#8221; while also protecting the interests of its employees, customers, and shareholders.
&#8220;If you start to get too distant or too far away from the primary mandate, the market has proven itself to really, really punish you,&#8221; O&#8217;Leary said. &#8220;And it&#8217;s woken up all kinds of boards.&#8221;
As was the case with Target and Bud Light, which faced a boycott over its partnership with self-identified transgender social media influencer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dylan-mulvaney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dylan Mulvaney</a>, companies are struggling to stay tuned into the mood of their customers, which can turn sour in a matter of hours, O&#8217;Leary contended.
&#8220;When you can&#8217;t control the message anymore through social media, which is clearly obvious, you better figure out what message you&#8217;re putting out before it ever gets out there,&#8221; O&#8217;Leary said.
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O&#8217;Leary pointed to social media in particular as an area of focus, suggesting companies need to add a committee to advise boards on viral trends. He also predicted that diversity officers will remain a fixture.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t think you&#8217;re going to find a lot of people saying, &#8216;Oh, let&#8217;s not have diversity officers.&#8217; I think that boat sailed. But what they do with their budgets now really matter, and the risks they&#8217;re putting the company into because of the power of uncontrolled social media is obviously measurable,&#8221; O&#8217;Leary said. &#8220;When you lose $11 billion of market cap, there&#8217;re a lot of unhappy cowboys out there. They&#8217;re called your investors.&#8221;

Kevin O’Leary

‘Shark Tank’ Star: Target’s Collapse Amid ‘Pride’ Controversy Is Wake-Up Call For Corporate America

'Shark Tank' Investor Says Target's Stock Collapse Amid 'Pride' Controversy Is A Wake-Up Call For Corporate America

Business

Investors

Target

Wokeness

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> will face a politically motivated federal indictment, Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ted-cruz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ted Cruz</a> (R-TX) said on Monday.
In making the prediction, Cruz argued Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/merrick-garland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merrick Garland</a> has a personal score to settle, motivated in part by a hatred of Trump as well as bitterness toward Republicans after they denied him the opportunity to serve on the Supreme Court years ago in a Senate confirmation standoff.
“Mark my words: I believe Merrick Garland will indict Donald Trump,&#8221; Cruz said during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. &#8220;He wants to indict Donald Trump because he hates Donald Trump. He hates him. He’s angry. Merrick Garland is angry that he wasn’t confirmed to the Supreme Court.”
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🚨Ted Cruz drops CHILLING prediction of Trump INDICTMENT by Biden DOJ: &quot;Mark my words: I believe Merrick Garland will INDICT Donald Trump.&quot;
 <a href="https://t.co/fq4LaXdBhV">pic.twitter.com/fq4LaXdBhV</a>
&mdash; Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1666069926610710529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Attorneys for Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-attorneys-visit-doj-after-accusing-special-counsel-of-misconduct" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visited the Department of Justice (DOJ)</a> on Monday as special counsel Jack Smith reportedly nears a charging decision on the storage of classified records and obstruction of justice by resisting the government&#8217;s efforts to retrieve the materials. Trump denies wrongdoing, claiming he declassified documents in his possession before leaving office and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/11/us/politics/trump-documents-white-house.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had a right to take them</a>.
Cruz reasoned that Garland&#8217;s DOJ would focus on pursuing trumped-up obstruction charges because investigators found other top executives, including President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-pence-will-not-face-criminal-charges-over-classified-documents-scandal-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former Vice President Mike Pence</a>, improperly had classified documents in their possession after leaving office.
&#8220;Mind you, he&#8217;s not saying the underlying classified documents were a crime because he&#8217;d have to indict Joe Biden too,&#8221; Cruz said. &#8220;He&#8217;s going to instead create a crime about a noncrime. That&#8217;s going to be the basis of the indictment.&#8221;
Cruz has fashioned himself as a high-profile ally of Trump&#8217;s after their clash in the 2016 GOP presidential nomination contest. Trump is now running another campaign for the White House.
A member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over the DOJ, Cruz said Garland has &#8220;corrupted&#8221; the agency along with its law enforcement arm, the FBI. He surmised that the DOJ would attempt to put on a facade of fairness — on a political level — by also indicting Biden&#8217;s adult son, Hunter, while ignoring serious allegations of corruption against the president and his family.
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“He will do it on purely personal matters,&#8221; Cruz said of Garland, &#8220;dealing with drugs and guns and tax issues for Hunter that have nothing to do with Joe Biden because this DOJ wants to protect and insulate Joe Biden and the Biden family’s corruption and they want to use Hunter Biden as a scapegoat to justify targeting Donald Trump.&#8221;

Ted Cruz

‘Mark My Words’: Ted Cruz Predicts ‘Angry’ Merrick Garland Will Indict Trump

Ted Cruz Says 'Angry' Merrick Garland Wants Trump Indicted

Donald Trump

Merrick Garland

The topic of free speech loomed large in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> conversation on Monday featuring <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/robert-f-kennedy-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>, the scion of American political royalty, longtime liberal activist, and upstart Democratic presidential candidate.
Twitter CEO <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk</a> invited Kennedy, who some polls show has as much as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/25/politics/cnn-poll-democrats-2024/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20% support among Democrats</a> in his bid to wrest the 2024 nomination away from President Joe Biden, to appear in the second Twitter Spaces conversation featuring a 2024 White House contender <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-event-by-far-the-biggest-ever-held-on-twitter-spaces-1-million-raised-in-first-hour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">after one late last month with Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis</a>. Kennedy praised Musk, telling him that Twitter under his leadership has fought against &#8220;censorship&#8221; on the platform.
&#8220;I think if we don&#8217;t protect free speech at all costs, we don&#8217;t have a functioning democracy,&#8221; Kennedy said.
No stranger to being silenced on social media, Instagram <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rjf-jr-banned-instagram-vaccine-misinfo-d72913572f04ec9b23cec58881bc32d9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> Kennedy over his posts raising concerns about the safety of COVID vaccines more than two years ago. Just this past weekend, Instagram restored his account, with parent company Meta saying it allowed the return because Kennedy is an <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/05/tech/meta-rfk-anti-vax-instagram-hnk-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">active presidential candidate.</a>
The turnaround is a late decision, however, as Kennedy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/robert-f-kennedy-jr-files-to-run-for-president-in-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed to run</a> for president two months ago. And he&#8217;s no fringe candidate, either. Polls consistently show he has <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-primary-d/2024/national/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">double-digit support</a>, right up to about 20%, in the contest for the Democratic Party&#8217;s nomination.
Fighting against censorship is a costly battle, even for the social media platforms themselves, as Musk attested during his conversation with Kennedy. Talking about losing the support of advertisers, Musk said Twitter has lost half its revenue &#8220;simply because we insist on free speech.&#8221;
After Musk completed a $44 billion takeover of Twitter last fall, he championed &#8220;The Twitter Files,&#8221; a project which has given the public an unprecedented look into the decision-making process behind content moderation. Among other changes made to Twitter, Musk has overseen the restoration of banished accounts, including the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/19/technology/trump-twitter-musk.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one belonging to former President Donald Trump</a>.
Both Musk and Kennedy seemed to agree that democracy cannot succeed when speech and the flow of information are bogged down by restraints.
&#8220;There’s never been a time in history when we look back and say that the people who are censoring free speech were the good guys,&#8221; Kennedy <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1665848160168689668" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;They&#8217;re always the bad guys. It&#8217;s always the first step toward totalitarianism.&#8221;
Kennedy, who touted himself as &#8220;pretty much a free-speech absolutist,&#8221; argued that &#8220;the remedy for bad speech is more speech.&#8221;
Kennedy praised Musk for his release of the &#8220;<a class="link " href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-house-dems-try-to-bully-twitter-files-journos-into-revealing-sources-fail-miserably" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-ylk="slk:Twitter Files;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid_p="14" data-v9y="1">Twitter Files</a>. &#8220;I can&#8217;t imagine any attorney for Twitter told you that was a good idea,&#8221; Kennedy said. &#8220;I was so surprised and delighted when you did that on your own.&#8221;
&#8220;I just want to tell you how much I admire you for that, Elon, and how grateful I am on behalf of my country,&#8221; Kennedy told the billionaire South Africa native. &#8220;You would come here from another country and be a key instrument for rescuing American democracy and freedom of speech.&#8221;
A new <a href="https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/news/nat-issues-rfkjr-support-0517/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll by Convention of States Action and The Trafalgar Group</a> found that dissatisfaction with Biden&#8217;s job performance, an din particular his economic policies, is boosting Kennedy&#8217;s challenge. Some two-thirds of respondents
&#8220;The Biden Administration is unable to find any semblance of a strategic and sound fiscal policy but continues unabated spending while governing only for the benefit of their corporate and special interest cronies,&#8221; said Mark Meckler, president of the Convention of States. &#8220;Like him or not, apparently many voters are seeing support for Kennedy as an expression of dissatisfaction with the Biden Administration.”
Kennedy is the 69-year-old son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 while running for the Democratic presidential nomination. He is the nephew of both former President John F. Kennedy and former Sen. Ted Kennedy.
But despite his liberal bloodlines, Kennedy has shaken up the race with an eclectic mix of policy positions since announcing his bid in April. Known for his skepticism of Big Pharma, Kennedy has railed against the COVID vaccines, which he charges were rushed to market and have been shown to have dangerous side effects. That position could resonate with some conservatives as well as the Democrats Kennedy is courting.
Kennedy has spoken out against the Biden administration&#8217;s approach toward the war in Ukraine, advocating for a peace deal. He has also called for tighter control of the southern border and for barring <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2023/04/30/robert-f-kennedy-jr-smerconish-transgender-athletes-smr-intv-vpx.cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biological males from competing in girls&#8217; sports</a>, all positions that would appear to run counter to the Democratic Party&#8217;s leadership.
“I am against people participating in women’s sports who are biologically male,” Kennedy told CNN in April. “I think women who have worked too hard to develop women’s sports over the past 30 years I watched it happen and I don’t think that’s fair.”
Kennedy who was educated at Harvard University and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia, is married to &#8220;Curb Your Enthusiasm&#8221; star Cheryl Hines.
Despite his impressive rise in the polls, his bid to earn the Democratic Party&#8217;s nomination is a long shot at best, as intra-party challengers to incumbent presidents have a poor track record. His uncle, Ted Kennedy, failed in his 1980 bid to take the nomination away from then-President Jimmy Carter.

Robert Kennedy Jr.

Surging 2024 Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Praises Elon Musk’s Free Speech Battle Against Leftist Censorship

Surging 2024 Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Praises Elon Musk's Free Speech Battle Against Leftist Censorship

2024 Election

Elon Musk

Free Speech

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Twitter

A young woman who attended the University of Pennsylvania publicly shared for the first time her story about participating on the same team as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/transgender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transgender</a> swimmer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lia-thomas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lia Thomas</a>.
Paula Scanlan, who was on <a href="https://pennathletics.com/sports/womens-swimming-and-diving/roster/paula-scanlan/19677" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the school&#8217;s</a> Women&#8217;s Swimming and Diving Roster, told The Daily Wire&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/matt-walsh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Walsh</a> that she now wants to join former University of Kentucky swimming star Riley Gaines in &#8220;fighting for women and girls across the country.&#8221;
Walsh posted the video of their discussion to Twitter on Monday and noted that Scanlan previously appeared anonymously in his hit documentary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;What Is A Woman?&#8221;</a> that was released last year.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A teammate of Lia Thomas appeared in What Is A Woman anonymously. A few days ago she came to us and said she is ready to come out publicly and tell her story. I had a longer conversation with Paula where she revealed a number of details that weren&#39;t covered in the film. Watch: <a href="https://t.co/wlknGmslJC">pic.twitter.com/wlknGmslJC</a>
&mdash; Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1665860950409244673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;A few days ago she came to us and said she is ready to come out publicly and tell her story,&#8221; Walsh said in a tweet. &#8220;I had a longer conversation with Paula where she revealed a number of details that weren&#8217;t covered in the film.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Now that you’ve seen <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattWalshBlog</a>&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhatIsAWoman?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhatIsAWoman</a>, you won’t want to miss out on the 1-year reunion featuring the heroes from the documentary. Watch here: <a href="https://t.co/ZHKWvCd7PN">pic.twitter.com/ZHKWvCd7PN</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1665814144321310721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Thomas, a male who <a href="https://www.si.com/college/2022/05/31/former-penn-swimmer-lia-thomas-didnt-transition-competitive-advantage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">began hormone replacement therapy</a> in May 2019, switched from University of Pennsylvania’s men’s team to the women’s squad in 2021 after identifying as a female and won a NCAA Division I national championship in the 500-yard freestyle.
The story of Thomas has been at the forefront of a national conversation about female athletes contending with the prospect of being at an unfair disadvantage in sports and uncomfortable situations in which females have to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lia-thomas-teammate-locker-room-definitely-awkward-because-thomas-male-genitalia-exposed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">share a locker room</a> with someone who is a biological male but identifying as a woman.
Gaines, who raced against Thomas, has emerged as an activist who champions female athletes after watching them lose out on opportunities because they were &#8220;displaced&#8221; by a male competitor.
“I’m speaking for every female athlete, not just myself,” Gaines <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/riley-gaines-skewers-lia-thomas-over-trans-swimmers-latest-heartbreaking-claim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/riley-gaines-skewers-lia-thomas-over-trans-swimmers-latest-heartbreaking-claim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during an interview</a> with British broadcaster Piers Morgan in April. &#8220;I’m done competing. This isn’t about me. But I know what’s at stake if someone doesn’t use their voice. I have a younger sister. I just got married. I can only hope one day that I have a daughter and I can’t imagine being in this position and not fighting for them.”

Paula Scanlan

‘Fighting For Women’: Lia Thomas Teammate Tells Her Story To Matt Walsh

'Fighting For Women': Lia Thomas Teammate Tells Her Story To Matt Walsh

Lia Thomas

Sports

Transgender

One year after its original release, The Daily Wire&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/wiaw/subscribe?utm_campaign=wiaw&amp;utm_medium=paid&amp;utm_source=bing&amp;utm_content=na_subscriptions&amp;cid=wiaw&amp;mid=b&amp;xid=0&amp;utm_term=matt%20walsh%20what%20is%20a%20woman&amp;utm_campaign=&amp;utm_source=bing&amp;utm_medium=ppc&amp;hsa_acc=6411461344&amp;hsa_cam=429594023&amp;hsa_grp=1326012504412860&amp;hsa_ad=&amp;hsa_src=o&amp;hsa_tgt=kwd-82876595724471:aud-808681081:loc-190&amp;hsa_kw=matt%20walsh%20what%20is%20a%20woman&amp;hsa_mt=e&amp;hsa_net=adwords&amp;hsa_ver=3&amp;msclkid=b7243887ea2a130d1bb85bba6f0e5baa&amp;_gl=1*a3w9f0*_ga*MTEyNTQ2Njg5Ni4xNjgyODYyMjcx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTY4NTkxODAwOC4xNjUuMS4xNjg1OTI1OTc0LjU3LjAuMA..">What Is A Woman?” documentary</a> soared to new heights prompted by a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter">Twitter</a> premiere that featured a dramatic triumph over social media censorship.
The tweet of the 90-minute film, which features Daily Wire host Matt Walsh asking tough questions underlying the gender ideology movement, has amassed more than 170 million views since being posted by The Daily Wire&#8217;s Twitter account Thursday — the first day of Pride Month — making it one of the most successful documentaries of all time.
For comparison, an estimated <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/20/media/game-of-thrones-finale-ratings/index.html#:~:text=The%20final%20episode%20of%20“Game,18.4%20million%20viewers%20tuned%20in.">19.3 million</a> viewers watched the final episode of HBO&#8217;s &#8220;Game of Thrones&#8221; when it premiered in 2019, President Joe Biden’s most recent State of the Union drew <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/business/media/biden-state-of-the-union-ratings.html">27.3 million people</a>.
Such a milestone initially seemed impossible. 
When &#8220;What Is A Woman?&#8221; was posted for Twitter users to view for free on Thursday, Twitter labeled the documentary as “hateful conduct” and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-restricts-launch-of-what-is-a-woman-top-company-official-resigns">restricted its visibility</a> because of two instances of supposed “misgendering.&#8221; In response to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-cancels-deal-with-the-daily-wire-to-stream-what-is-a-woman-over-misgendering-will-label-film-hateful-conduct">viral thread</a> by Daily Wire co-CEO Jeremy Boreing about the ordeal, Twitter owner Elon Musk insisted the penalties were a mistake by &#8220;many people&#8221; at Twitter. Still, users were restrained in their ability to retweet, &#8220;like,&#8221; or even comment on the post throughout the night. 
Backlash to the censorship was fierce, led by small accounts and prominent figures alike who questioned whether &#8220;Twitter 2.0&#8221; under Musk was truly the free speech platform they were promised. Outrage grew until the restrictions were lifted by early Friday morning when Musk himself promoted the film by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/every-parent-should-watch-this-elon-musk-retweets-what-is-a-woman-to-his-140m-followers">retweeting the post</a>.
“Every parent should watch this,” Musk said in the tweet, which he subsequently pinned to the top of his page.
The rollercoaster Twitter rollout of &#8220;What Is A Woman?,&#8221; punctuated by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-restricts-launch-of-what-is-a-woman-top-company-official-resigns">abrupt departure</a> of Twitter’s trust and safety department chief Ella Irwin, made waves over the weekend. Not only did the story trend on Twitter in countries all over the world, but it garnered media coverage in an eclectic array of publications, including <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/elon-musk-caves-after-daily-wire-feud-over-anti-trans-film-what-is-a-woman">The Daily Beast</a>, <a href="https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/elon-musk-twitter-daily-wire-what-is-a-woman-hateful-content-1235630370/">Variety</a>, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/musk-elon-twitter-ella-irwin-trans-video-what-is-a-woman-stream-rcna87429">NBC News</a>, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/02/tech/twitter-content-moderation-official-eu/index.html">CNN</a>, and <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/daily-wire-claims-twitter-canceled-deal-to-premiere-what-is-a-woman-documentary/">National Review</a>. 
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&#8220;Definitely world champion Streisand Effect! This is being covered almost everywhere on Earth,&#8221; Musk observed as the viewership numbers rapidly climbed.
By Sunday, the 90-minute documentary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-is-a-woman-reaches-no-1-for-streaming-documentaries-on-rotten-tomatoes">appeared at the top</a> of the “Most Popular” section of the “Best Movies at Home” list on Rotten Tomatoes for the month of June, beating out Hollywood juggernauts such as “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” The documentary also boasted a positive audience score of 96% before an apparent blitz of one-star reviews by trolls brought the score down just below 90%.
&#8220;&#8216;What Is A Woman?&#8217; has been such a massive success that the Left can only resort to flooding the audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes with one-star ratings from people who didn’t watch the film,&#8221; Walsh noted on Twitter.
People of many different backgrounds touted the documentary — even if they didn&#8217;t agree with every aspect of the film. &#8220;This is quite incredible,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/_davidlimbrick/status/1664971274563751936">tweeted</a> Australian politician David Limbrick. &#8220;110m+ views on a rocket in a matter of hours. My wife and I just watched it. There are problems with it but there’s also serious issues raised that need to be discussed. Simply smearing it as &#8216;transphobic&#8217; and attempting to censor it isn’t an option anymore.&#8221;
&#8220;Incredibly impressed with the creativity, clarity and courage of [Walsh] and his film, #WhatIsAWoman. Amazing work and amazing film — a must watch,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/LilaGraceRose/status/1664784268734889986">tweeted</a> Lila Rose, president of the pro-life group Live Action.
“The movie you must watch…&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/RobSchneider/status/1664811863870259201">tweeted</a> comedian Rob Schneider, who was joined by journalist Megyn Kelly in endorsing the film. &#8220;This film is amazing, enlightening, important and brave,&#8221; she <a href="https://twitter.com/megynkelly/status/1664620295628488705">tweeted</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE DAILY WIRE&#8217;S GROUNDBREAKING DOCUMENTARY, &#8220;WHAT IS A WOMAN?&#8217;</a>

Twitter/What is a Woman

‘What Is A Woman?’ Blows Past 170 Million Views On Twitter

'What Is A Woman?' Blows Past 170 Million Views On Twitter

Matt Walsh

The Daily Wire

What Is A Woman

The Senate passed bipartisan legislation Thursday night that aims to avert a U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/debt-ceiling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">debt default</a>.
After a series of amendments failed, the upper chamber voted 63-36 to send <a href="https://rules.house.gov/bill/118/hr-fiscal-responsibility-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Fiscal Responsibility Act</a> to the White House where President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill. Senate leaders quickly lauded the bill&#8217;s passage while taking shots at each other&#8217;s party.
&#8220;We prevented a catastrophic default that would have decimated our economy and [inflicted] immense pain on families,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1664470685224140801" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). &#8220;We preserved the lion’s share of the historic investments we made. We took off the table the worst parts of the MAGA Republican plan that would have hurt families.&#8221;
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released a <a href="https://www.republicanleader.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-bipartisan-debt-limit-agreement-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that said: “Thanks to House Republicans’ efforts, the Fiscal Responsibility Act avoids the catastrophic consequences of default and begins to curb Washington Democrats’ addiction to reckless spending that grows our nation’s debt.&#8221;
The legislation, which arose out of an agreement struck between White House officials and Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA), comes ahead of what has become known as the &#8220;X-date&#8221; on June 5, when Treasury Secretary Janet Yelen predicted reserves could run out.
The Treasury Department has been enacting “extraordinary measures” since earlier this year when the United States hit its statutory limit of roughly $31.4 trillion and warned of dire economic consequences if the country was unable to reach a deal to lift the debt ceiling.
The legislation <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/29/business/debt-ceiling-agreement.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspends the debt limit until January 2025</a> and implements restraints on spending that the Congressional Budget Office estimated would <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2023-05/hr3746_Letter_McCarthy.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduce budget deficits</a> by $1.5 trillion over the next decade. As noted by McConnell in his statement, the bill also begins &#8220;to reform the infrastructure permitting process, finally rescind unspent COVID dollars, and cut spending at the IRS.&#8221;
While the bill did receive a bipartisan consensus, as underscored by a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-mccarthy-biden-debt-ceiling-compromise-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vote in the House on Wednesday</a> with more than 100 Republicans and Democrats each supporting the measure, there were detractors in both parties.
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Conservatives generally argued that the bill did not go far enough in reducing spending while leftist lawmakers pushed back on certain provisions, such as the <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4028920-progressives-vent-frustration-as-debt-limit-bill-nears-final-vote/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expansion of some requirements for food stamps</a>.
&#8220;No one gets everything they want in a negotiation, but make no mistake: this bipartisan agreement is a big win for our economy and the American people,&#8221; Biden said in a statement Thursday evening.
The president said he looks forward to signing the bill into law &#8220;as soon as possible&#8221; and addressing the American people on Friday.

Chuck Schumer

Senate Passes Debt Ceiling Bill To Avert Default Ahead Of ‘X-Date’

Senate Passes Debt Ceiling Bill To Avert Default Ahead Of 'X-Date'

Debt Ceiling

Kevin McCarthy

Mitch McConnell

Senate

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> employee who works in &#8220;brand safety&#8221; with a history of making derogatory posts about white people is leaving the company, the employee said on Thursday.
&#8220;[T]oday was my last day at the bird app,&#8221; said a <a href="https://twitter.com/MaieAiyed/status/1664432532446932994" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> from Maie Aiyed from an account that is verified as being affiliated with Twitter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
today was my last day at the bird app🐦💙 
it was a hell of a journey, and i already miss my amazing team (hi <a href="https://twitter.com/elyanathierry?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elyanathierry</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/nshanawani?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nshanawani</a>)
to the most incredible manager, mentor, and friend — thanks for taking a chance on me <a href="https://twitter.com/ajb_sf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ajb_sf</a>
I feel so lucky to have been part of…
&mdash; maie (@MaieAiyed) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaieAiyed/status/1664432532446932994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The tweet did not specify a reason for the departure, but did express gratitude to some colleagues.
&#8220;I feel so lucky to have been part of something so special,&#8221; the tweet added, followed by the hashtag &#8220;#LoveWhereYouWorked.&#8221;
The announcement came around the time that news broke that Ella Irwin, the head of Twitter’s trust and safety department, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/twitter-restricts-launch-of-what-is-a-woman-top-company-official-resigns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had resigned</a> — all while Twitter restricted the launch of The Daily Wire’s hit documentary “What Is A Woman?” on the platform Thursday evening.
As of press time, there was no confirmation that the departures were related in any way, but users quickly began looking through olds posts from Aiyed that showed a history of making comments that are dismissive of white people.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
how did this person last so long <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elonmusk</a> <a href="https://t.co/iwcsONuirt">pic.twitter.com/iwcsONuirt</a>
&mdash; Gregg Re (@gregg_re) <a href="https://twitter.com/gregg_re/status/1664440736425689088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“There are so many people that don&#8217;t have people speaking for them&#8217; ya like black people, trans people, Muslim people WHO +,&#8221; Aiyed said in one post in 2017, responding to a tweet that has since been deleted. &#8220;wouldn&#8217;t even GET the platform you had even if they worked twice as hard, so..rest assured, white men are represented. In ALL their views,&#8221; Aiyed <a href="https://twitter.com/MaieAiyed/status/842150525311172608" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>.
&#8220;[W]hite ppl eat half a shawerma wrap and be like AH LAAN! SHOE is mak . like wtf does that even mean mark . ur still not invited to the hummus,&#8221; Aiyed <a href="https://twitter.com/MaieAiyed/status/882475006655029248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> that same year. &#8220;[W]hite people act like flossing is a personality trait lmfao,&#8221; Aiyed <a href="https://twitter.com/MaieAiyed/status/1029936432129892353" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> in 2018. &#8220;[W]hite guys think buying Elvis memorabilia is a suitable substitute for a personality lmao,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/MaieAiyed/status/1046316637111037952" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said another post</a>.
A search of the account&#8217;s tweets showed many other posts about white people over the years.
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White people who use their privilege to deconstruct the system and elevate the voices of people of color: <a href="https://t.co/PEjPLJlfbh">pic.twitter.com/PEjPLJlfbh</a>
&mdash; maie (@MaieAiyed) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaieAiyed/status/1001295491068395520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&#8230;..why is white lives matter trending. <a href="https://t.co/MdKgpQhzio">pic.twitter.com/MdKgpQhzio</a>
&mdash; maie (@MaieAiyed) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaieAiyed/status/767590094727290880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2016</a></blockquote>
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whenever white people start a &quot;trend&quot; <a href="https://t.co/3bjOqyejPd">pic.twitter.com/3bjOqyejPd</a>
&mdash; maie (@MaieAiyed) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaieAiyed/status/856674832779325440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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This underhanded fast pitch at the white male patriarchy this is what I like to wake up to👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👌🏼 <a href="https://t.co/lQXmx5UIUZ">https://t.co/lQXmx5UIUZ</a>
&mdash; maie (@MaieAiyed) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaieAiyed/status/827199894385364993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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A wider review of the account indicates Aiyed has roots in Egypt and has a penchant for tweeting about video games, as well as other topics, often with a snarky tone.
According to a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/maieaiyed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn profile</a>, Aiyed has been working as a program manager for Brand Safety Partnerships at Twitter in the San Francisco Bay Area since March 2022, which would precede Elon Musk&#8217;s takeover.
Other places of employment in the preceding years include YouTube, Patreon, and Dropbox, per the account.

Elon Musk Acquires Twitter

Twitter Employee With History Of Chiding White People Announces Exit

Big Tech

Racism

Social Media

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> committee investigating how social media companies restricted speech is putting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stanford-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stanford University</a> on notice.
Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jim-jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Jordan</a> (R-OH), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, says Stanford failed to comply with an April subpoena seeking information about its Internet Observatory program, The Daily Wire can reveal.
In a <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/649991316/Stanford-Letter-Jordan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter dated Thursday</a>, Jordan told a lawyer representing Stanford that the university now has until June 14 to comply, or his committee will &#8220;be forced to consider the use of one or more enforcement mechanisms.&#8221;
The GOP-led panel has <a href="https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2019/06/house-panel-contempt-efforts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a number of options</a> it could explore, including criminal contempt of Congress, civil enforcement, or &#8220;inherent contempt.&#8221;
Projects of the Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO), which was <a href="https://cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/io/news/background-sios-projects-social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">founded in 2019</a>, attracted scrutiny amid disclosures from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-twitter-files-twitter-and-the-fbi-belly-button" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter Files</a>, raising concerns among Republicans about Big Tech censorship.
As Jordan noted in his letter, SIO is a member of two organizations that use the Jira Ticketing System to flag &#8220;alleged mis- and disinformation,&#8221; including posts regarding the 2020 election and COVID vaccines.
&#8220;Public and non-public information obtained by the Committee confirms that large social media companies moderated content based upon these tickets and other information shared by Stanford personnel,&#8221; Jordan wrote.
Jordan said that his committee wants to see &#8220;all Jira tickets and related communications to social media companies, which document purportedly false content posted online.&#8221;
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The chairman&#8217;s subpoena also demands communications between SIO and the Executive Branch related to content moderation dating back to January 2020 and documents about grants, contracts, and funds from the federal government <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2023/03/23/house-weaponization-subcommittee-seeks-records-universities">dating back</a> to January 2015.
<a href="https://cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/io/news/background-sios-projects-social-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On its website</a>, SIO pushes back on &#8220;inaccurate and misleading&#8221; claims about two coalitions it helped to convene. These groups are the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP) and Virality Project (VP), both of which are mentioned by Jordan in his letter Thursday.
SIO lists a series of details concerning the censorship of certain types of online posts and targeting conservative social media accounts. &#8220;The EIP and VP provided public factual findings to multiple entities, including government agencies and social media platforms, but had no control over content moderation, censorship, or labeling posts,&#8221; SIO says.
The Stanford program insists on its website that the only government funding that it has received came in the form of a five-year, $748,437 grant from the National Science Foundation, but stressed that no government money was used to study the 2020 election or to support the COVID vaccine-focused VP.
Jordan said the lawyer representing Stanford, John Bellinger III of Arnold &amp; Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, &#8220;confirmed&#8221; to committee staff in a recent call that the university has documents and communications related to the Jira tickets, but would not be producing them to the panel.
&#8220;You have represented that the basis for your refusal is that these documents and communications concern only a research project conducted by Stanford students,&#8221; Jordan wrote. &#8220;This description is inconsistent with information obtained by the Committee and available in the public domain, which suggests that the government and large social media platforms initiated and received information via these relevant documents.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to Bellinger and Stanford seeking comment.

Jim Jordan

Jordan Threatens Subpoena Enforcement Against Stanford In Censorship Probe

Censorship

Stanford University

Former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago</a> Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lori-lightfoot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lori Lightfoot</a> is headed to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/harvard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harvard</a> University to teach about health policy and leadership.
The Ivy League university <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/newsplus/lori-lightfoot-appointed-menschel-fellow-at-harvard-chan-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> on Thursday that Lightfoot, who lost her bid for a second term as mayor this year, will serve as a senior leadership fellow this fall at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
“We believe our students will benefit from her experiences, insights and knowledge of leadership decision-making,&#8221; Eric Andersen, director of Senior Leadership Fellows Program at the school, <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2023/6/1/23744640/former-chicago-mayor-lori-lightfoot-to-teach-at-harvard-t-h-chan-school-of-public-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the Chicago Sun-Times</a>.
In a statement, Lightfoot said she looks forward to teaching about her experience leading the nation&#8217;s third-largest city during the COVID-19 pandemic.
&#8220;I&#8217;ll share specifics about the way we managed the COVID-19 public health crisis, and we&#8217;ll delve into how we approached the crisis as an avenue to address long standing public health equity challenges using data and science,&#8221; Lightfoot said. &#8220;I also look forward to being part of the community of scholars, intellectuals and students at such a world class institution.&#8221;
During her single four-year term as mayor, which ended last month when <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicago-welcomes-new-leftist-mayor-with-vision-of-a-safer-and-more-equitable-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leftist Brandon Johnson</a> took over the role, Lightfoot made headlines for implementing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicago-mayor-lori-lightfoot-issues-another-lockdown-advisory-demands-thanksgiving-plans-be-canceled" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strict lockdown</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lori-lightfoot-claims-covid-regulations-prevented-tribute-for-fallen-chicago-cop-thats-not-true-medical-examiner-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">measures</a> and her inability to put a stop to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/01/politics/lori-lightfoot-chicago-mayor-race-crime/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rampant crime in the Windy City</a>. <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/newsplus/lori-lightfoot-appointed-menschel-fellow-at-harvard-chan-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Harvard Gazette</a> said her &#8220;accomplishments&#8221; includes &#8220;landmark ethics and good governance reforms, worker protection legislation, and key investments in education, public safety, and financial stability.&#8221;
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After Lightfoot failed to secure a spot in the run-off contest in the mayoral election in late February, <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/lori-lightfoot-chicago-mayor-news-brandon-johnson/13196138/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC7 Chicago reported</a> that in an interview she pointed to the pandemic as well as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/derek-chauvin-ex-minneapolis-cop-convicted-of-murdering-george-floyd-files-appeal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">George Floyd&#8217;s death</a> and violence that ensued as factors in her defeat.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a lot of anger, frustration and fear that is present, not only in Chicago, but across our country. And, the winds of dissension continue to blow at a furious pace,&#8221; Lightfoot said. &#8220;So, for me, the biggest challenge wasn&#8217;t some particular person&#8217;s name on the ballot. The biggest challenge was breaking through what I call that &#8216;anger bubble.'&#8221;
Appointed a Richard L. and Ronay A. Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow, Lightfoot is expected to start teaching a course tentatively titled “Health Policy and Leadership&#8221; in late August. <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/policy-translation-leadership-development/recent-menschel-fellows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Others who have</a> become Menschel fellows include former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and former Boston Mayor Kim Janey.

Lori Lightfoot

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Lands Teaching Position At Harvard

Chicago

Education

Harvard

Seasoned prosecutor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-durham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Durham</a>&#8216;s restrained approach to investigating how top FBI brass may have cozied up to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hillary-clinton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hillary Clinton</a>&#8216;s 2016 campaign vexed members of his special counsel team, journalist Seymour Hersh reported on Thursday.
Hersh, a Pulitzer Prize winner who recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-cant-be-that-stupid-journalist-slams-nyt-for-claiming-u-s-officials-suggested-pro-ukraine-group-attacked-nord-steam-pipelines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faced controvers</a>y by alleging that the United States blew up the Nord Stream pipeline, <a href="https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/russiagates-missing-pieces" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote in his latest Substack article</a> how the &#8220;real story&#8221; of Russiagate involves FBI officials who &#8220;chose to look the other way&#8221; when the Clinton team cooked up ways to link then-candidate Donald Trump to Russia that culminated in British ex-spy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-offered-to-pay-steele-1m-for-anti-trump-evidence-paid-possible-russian-spy-despite-knowing-his-info-was-bad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christopher Steele&#8217;s now-discredited dossier</a> and unfounded allegations of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/durham-finds-researcher-felt-threatened-by-schiff-staffer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an Alfa Bank backchannel</a>.
&#8220;It became evident to some members of Durham’s staff that the real story was not about whether or not Trump had pee parties in a Moscow hotel room — one of the headline-producing allegations in the Steele Dossier that consumed the Washington press corps in the aftermath of Trump’s victory in the 2016 election,&#8221; Hersh wrote. &#8220;The issue was whether the Clinton campaign, in its constant leaking of false accusations and false data, had crossed a line.&#8221;
&#8220;I was told that there was tension and frustration over Durham’s initial lack of interest, or reluctance, to go beyond his investigative mandate and look closely at the possibility that some senior FBI officials had openly joined ranks with the Clinton campaign, with its drumbeat of spurious allegations, because, in some cases, of a shared belief in the importance of a Clinton victory in the fall election,&#8221; Hersh said. &#8220;Another factor, I was told, was the possibility of promotions — even to high-level Justice Department offices — in a potential Clinton administration.&#8221;
There has already been some reporting on consternation within the Durham team&#8217;s ranks. Durham&#8217;s No. 2 prosecutor, Nora Dannehy, resigned in 2020 in what <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/26/us/politics/durham-trump-russia-barr.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times described</a> as a &#8220;culmination of a series of disputes between them over prosecutorial ethics.&#8221; The newspaper also reported that two other prosecutors objected to indicting former Clinton campaign Michael Sussmann, who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jury-clears-former-clinton-attorney-michael-sussmann-of-lying-to-fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquitted last year</a> by a D.C. jury on a charge of lying to the FBI.
The full extent of what Durham ultimately discovered about &#8220;Clinton Plan intelligence&#8221; during his years-long inquiry remains shrouded, but the Department of Justice last month <a href="https://www.justice.gov/storage/durhamreport.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released his 306-page report</a>. It made headlines for how it heavily criticized the FBI&#8217;s investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
&#8220;Durham, to his credit, did follow the leads that came to his office, but he left them in secrecy—perhaps in the Classified Appendix or perhaps completely off the record,&#8221; Hersh wrote. &#8220;He was seen by some as being mandated only to investigate FBI management shortcomings and believed the public needed a full accounting of the FBI bungling.&#8221;
&#8220;It was not clear whether Durham, had he decided to expand the parameters of his inquiry to include the implications of the intelligence about the Clinton campaign, would have been allowed to do so,&#8221; Hersh said. &#8220;As Durham himself writes, &#8216;any attempted prosecution premised on the Clinton Plan intelligence would face what in all likelihood would be insurmountable classification issues given the highly sensitive nature of the information itself.'&#8221;
Durham is scheduled to testify about his investigation before two committees next month. The special counsel is set to speak with the House Intelligence Committee in a closed session on June 20 and appear before the House Judiciary Committee in a public setting on June 21, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/john-durham-testify-house-judiciary-committee-june" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The Washington Examiner</a>.

John Durham

Legendary Reporter Claims Durham’s Reluctance To Probe Clinton-FBI Alliance Irked Team

Hersh Reports Durham Irked Team With Reluctance To Investigate Clinton-FBI Alliance

2016 Election

Hillary Clinton

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Daniel Chaitin