WASHINGTON (TND) — Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Ind, and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Tuesday, seeking more detail around what the now “paused” Disinformation Governance Board was created to do, after the two Senators received whistleblower information indicating the board’s objective was much more domestically focused than originally portrayed.
Americans were first notified of the new disinformation board, housed within DHS, when Secretary Mayorkas discussed it during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing in April.
Initial discussions and reports around the board’s purpose indicated its main focus would be disinformation coming from Russia, as well as misleading messaging from human smugglers about the U.S.-Mexico border intended to target migrants hoping to come to America.
However, internal DHS documents obtained by the two Senators show the board’s expected role was much more focused on narratives directly impacting Americans, than originally portrayed.
Among the documents was a memo to Secretary Mayorkas laying out proposed structures for the board. The memo also listed potential disinformation that poses “serious homeland security risks,” which included “conspiracy theories” regarding the validity and security of elections and “disinformation” pertaining to the origins and effects of COVID-19 vaccines and the efficacy of masks.
The list also touched on “domestic violent extremist groups,”...
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