The time is up for the infamous “digital brownshirts” over at the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Subpoenas have now been issued.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) announced that House Republicans are zeroing in on documents showing that the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) played a contributing role in the President Joe Biden-led collusion with Big Tech platforms to censor conservatives online. The damning announcement comes two weeks after the CCDH, a group that plots to muzzle free speech, refused to voluntarily turn over documents on the ongoing investigation.
“To date, CCDH has failed to produce a single document, despite admissions to the Committee and to the press that part of CCDH’s work includes directly engaging with the Executive Branch and social media companies,” Jordan said before requesting a prompt response by September 12. “Accordingly, given CCDH’s inadequate voluntary compliance, please find attached a subpoena.”
The CCDH initially became the subject of a Judiciary Committee investigation on August 3, when Jordan issued a letter to the group’s CEO Imran Ahmed. Specifically, Jordan said, “Certain third parties, including organizations like yours, appear to have played a role in this censorship regime by advising the government and social media companies on so-called ‘misinformation’ and other types of content—sometimes with direct or indirect support or approval from the federal government.”
In response, an attorney for the CCDH attempted to run for cover for the company, dubiously claiming, contrary to reality, that the group is “nonpartisan” and simply seeks to stop so-called hate speech. The attorney, however, ignored the CCDH’s blatant targeting of conservative media outlets, including the Media Research Center. Shortly after receiving funding from a “greening” plan with alleged ties to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the CCDH in November 2021 issued a baffling report titled “The Toxic Ten,” in which it targeted MRC, among other conservative groups, for supposed “climate change denial.” In response, MRC Founder and President Brent Bozell called out the CCDH for “attacking conservative organizations for daring to have an honest debate on climate policy.”
Chairman Jordan’s subpoena also comes as the CCDH faces a lawsuit from X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk, who argued that the CCDH is leading efforts to destroy his platform.
It isn’t immediately clear whether the CCDH will respond to the subpoena. This is a developing story.
MRC Free Speech America Contributing Writer Catherine Salgado contributed to this article.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on so-called “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
