Liberal FEC chairwoman targets online news she considers ‘fraudulent’
Liberal FEC chairwoman targets online news she considers
‘fraudulent’
by Paul Bedard August 30, 2019 12:59 PM
New concerns are being raised that online
conservative media outlets could face federally imposed censorship going into
the 2020 elections.
Years after Republicans on the Federal Election Commission
claimed Democrats were targeting conservative speech on outlets like the Drudge
Report, the liberal head of the FEC is teaming with an anti-Trump free speech
advocacy group to host a symposium targeting online “disinformation.”
The September event is inspired by Russia’s online efforts
during the 2016 election and is expected to include Republicans and Democrats
as well as big internet firms such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter.
Politico reported this week that FEC Chairwoman Ellen Weintraub
is hosting the event and summoned the tech giants. Her invitation reads, “The
goal of the symposium will be to identify effective policy approaches and
practical tools that can minimize the disruption and confusion sown by
fraudulent news and propaganda in the 2020 campaign,” according to the outlet.
CNET reported that the event will be
co-hosted by PEN America, a free speech advocacy group. It has rapped Trump for
his criticism of the media.
Some conservatives, including the former Republican FEC chairman
who raised suspicions of censorship efforts against right-leaning media like
Drudge and Fox, warned that the event could lead to a crackdown on online
speech.
“The FEC has no business policing the truth or accuracy of
speech of any kind by American citizens on the internet,” said Lee Goodman, a
former Republican FEC chairman.
He led a bid to protect conservative media and openly suggested
that outlets like Drudge could run into trouble with liberal political speech
police.
At the time, Weintraub rejected targeting conservative — or any —
media. “The media’s coverage of our political system is fully protected,
generally by the First Amendment, and specifically by the Federal Election
Campaign Act and Commission regulations. I take these protections very seriously,”
she said.
Goodman said he sees concerns in summoning tech giants to a
FEC-endorsed speech seminar and warned about a double standard in policing
liberal and conservative websites.
Recalling his fight on the issue, he said, “I concluded that
conservative speakers and press would always be held to a double standard if
government got to regulate them. Now the hook to get Drudge is something
vaguely defined as ‘disinformation,’ however that might be defined. The FEC has
no business regulating the internet or browbeating internet platforms to censor
American citizens.”
Goodman, an election lawyer, said that investigating foreign
fake news is a job for the FBI, not FEC. “The FEC’s only role is prohibiting
foreigners from spending money to influence American elections and foreign
propaganda should be policed by the FBI and Department of Justice,” he said.
Weintraub’s effort comes as the FEC is being sidelined with its
latest resignation. When Vice Chairman Matthew Petersen leaves today, only
three members will be left. The agency requires four commissioners to conduct
business like enforcement.
Concerns about the FEC, and GOP frustration that Weintraub has
served years longer than scheduled, is prompting a push to nominate a whole new
six-member elections board.
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