Elon Musk Drops Bombshell: ‘Government Paid Twitter Millions of Dollars to Censor Info from Public’
Twitter boss Elon Musk has just dropped a massive bombshell by revealing that the U.S. federal government “paid Twitter millions of dollars to censor info from the public.”
Musk made the explosive claim while sharing the latest installment of the “Twitter Files.”
“Twitter Files: Part 7” is the latest in the series of secret internal communications between the company’s former executives and other employees.
The “Twitter Files” releases have been exposing unprecedented efforts by the company – in collusion with government officials, Democrat politicians, federal law enforcement, and the intelligence community – to censor public information on social media.
The latest installment was detailed by journalist Michael Shellenberger, who was tasked by Musk to report on his findings.
Government paid Twitter millions of dollars to censor info from the public https://t.co/eSEwcZlGjt
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 20, 2022
Shellenberger reveals the staggering efforts by the FBI and intel community to discredit the Hunter Biden laptop story to protect Joe Biden’s election campaign.
He delves into how the FBI, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and intelligence community “discredited factual information about Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings.”
The files show a direct effort by America’s taxpayer-funded federal agencies to suppress negative press on the Democrat candidate during the 2020 election.
The latest release also reveals that the intel community has taken action on a domestic level to influence Twitter’s content moderation.
Shellenberger reports: “PART 7 The FBI & the Hunter Biden Laptop How the FBI & intelligence community discredited factual information about Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings both after and *before* The New York Post revealed the contents of his laptop on October 14, 2020
“In Twitter Files #6, we saw the FBI relentlessly seek to exercise influence over Twitter, including over its content, its users, and its data.
“In Twitter Files #7, we present evidence pointing to an organized effort by representatives of the intelligence community (IC), aimed at senior executives at news and social media companies, to discredit leaked information about Hunter Biden before and after it was published.
“The story begins in December 2019 when a Delaware computer store owner named John Paul (J.P.) Mac Isaac contacts the FBI about a laptop that Hunter Biden had left with him.
“On Dec 9, 2019, the FBI issues a subpoena for, and takes, Hunter Biden’s laptop.
“By Aug 2020, Mac Isaac still had not heard back from the FBI, even though he had discovered evidence of criminal activity.
“And so he emails Rudy Giuliani, who was under FBI surveillance at the time.
“In early Oct, Giuliani gives it to @nypost.
“Shortly before 7 pm ET on October 13, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, George Mesires, emails JP Mac Isaac.
“Hunter and Mesires had just learned from the New York Post that its story about the laptop would be published the next day.
“At 9:22 pm ET (6:22 PT), FBI Special Agent Elvis Chan sends 10 documents to Twitter’s then-Head of Site Integrity, Yoel Roth, through Teleporter, a one-way communications channel from the FBI to Twitter.
“The next day, October 14, 2020, The New York Post runs its explosive story revealing the business dealings of President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter.
“Every single fact in it was accurate.
“And yet, within hours, Twitter and other social media companies censor the NY Post article, preventing it from spreading and, more importantly, undermining its credibility in the minds of many Americans.
“Why is that? What, exactly, happened?
“…It’s not the first time that Twitter’s Roth has pushed back against the FBI.
“In January 2020, Roth resisted FBI efforts to get Twitter to share data outside of the normal search warrant process.
“Pressure had been growing: “We have seen a sustained (If uncoordinated) effort by the IC [intelligence community] to push us to share more info & change our API policies.
“They are probing & pushing everywhere they can (including by whispering to congressional staff).”
“Time and again, FBI asks Twitter for evidence of foreign influence & Twitter responds that they aren’t finding anything worth reporting.
“[W]e haven’t yet identified activity that we’d typically refer to you (or even flag as interesting in the foreign influence context).”
“Then, in July 2020, the FBI’s Elvis Chan arranges for temporary Top Secret security clearances for Twitter executives so that the FBI can share information about threats to the upcoming elections.
“On August 11, 2020, the FBI’s Chan shares information with Twitter’s Roth relating to the Russian hacking organization, APT28, through the FBI’s secure, one-way communications channel, Teleporter.
“The FBI’s influence campaign may have been helped by the fact that it was paying Twitter millions of dollars for its staff time.
“’I am happy to report we have collected $3,415,323 since October 2019!’ reports an associate of Jim Baker in early 2021.”
46. The FBI’s influence campaign may have been helped by the fact that it was paying Twitter millions of dollars for its staff time.
“I am happy to report we have collected $3,415,323 since October 2019!” reports an associate of Jim Baker in early 2021. pic.twitter.com/SmNse97QxK
— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022