Wray Defends FBI Social Media Efforts to Block Misinformation

(Bloomberg) — The FBI will comply with a federal judge’s order banning federal agencies from communicating with social media companies even though its efforts are intended to counter online misinformation from foreign adversaries, according to Director Christopher Wray.

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During a congressional hearing Wednesday, Wray made his first public comments on the Louisiana court order issued last week, saying the Federal Bureau of Investigation “is not in the business of moderating content.”

“We don’t ask social media companies to censor information or suppress information,” Wray said. “At the end of the day, we’re very clear that its up to the social media companies to decide whether to do something about that.”

Wray said the FBI is “going to comply with the court’s order” and has already sent out guidance to its employees and field offices, but noted the ruling is currently the subject of ongoing litigation.

Wray testified Wednesday for the first time before the House Judiciary Committee since Republicans took control of it this year. He defended the work of his department, citing its efforts to get violent criminals off the streets and investigating cartels that traffic fentanyl.

He still faced withering criticism from Republicans.

“The American people have lost faith in the FBI,” said Republican Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana. “This is about whether the very system of justice in our country can be trusted anymore.”

Wray’s testimony comes at a critical time, as House Republicans and their conservative allies are seeking to damage and embarrass the Biden administration heading into next year’s presidential election while former President Donald Trump is under federal criminal indictment for allegedly mishandling government secrets and obstructing justice.

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The Justice Department, which the FBI is part of, has ongoing investigations into Trump and his associates.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, agreed last month to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax crimes and enter into an agreement with prosecutors to potentially avoid a charge of possessing a gun while addicted to an illegal drug. The agreement was reached with the US attorney for Delaware, David Weiss, who was appointed by Trump and held over by Biden to conduct the investigation.

Weiss said in a letter Monday to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina that there is an ongoing investigation into allegations that the Biden family was involved in corrupt business dealings.

Republicans are expected to press Wray on many accusations that have been made in recent months based on information they’ve uncovered and testimony from individuals who claim to be whistleblowers.

For example, IRS supervisory agent Gary Shapley claimed to lawmakers the Justice Department mishandled the Hunter Biden investigation and that Weiss was prevented from bringing charges wherever he wanted.

Weiss and Attorney General Merrick Garland have denied that there was any interference in the investigation.

House Republicans also have seized on an allegation that an executive from the Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, paid $5 million in bribes to Joe Biden when he was vice president, as well as Hunter Biden. The claim is included in a document known as an FD-1023, which is essentially used by FBI agents to catalog raw, unverified intelligence. Some Republicans have claimed there may be audio tapes to back up the allegation, but they don’t know for sure.

However, another individual that Republicans claimed was a key whistleblower against the Bidens has been charged by the Justice Department for allegedly spying for the Chinese government and arms trafficking. The department released an indictment July 10 charging Gal Luft, a dual US-Israeli citizen.

Luft was arrested in February in Cyprus based on the charges in the indictment but subsequently fled after being released on bail and remains a fugitive.

Judiciary Republicans also released a report July 10 alleging that the FBI worked with the Security Service of Ukraine to send social media companies lists of accounts to take down that included legitimate accounts of Americans in violation of their First Amendment rights.

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