James Comer (Credit: public domain)
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is continuing the Committee’s investigation into NewsGuard’s impact on protected First Amendment speech and how its contracts with government agencies may contribute to censorship under the guise of combatting misinformation. In a follow up letter to NewsGuard Chief Executive Officers Steven Brill and Gordon Crovitz, Chairman Comer requests additional documents and communications from NewsGuard related to all past and present contracts with or grants administered by government agencies.
“The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is continuing to investigate the impact of NewsGuard on protected First Amendment speech and its potential to serve as a non-transparent agent of censorship campaigns. Our investigation has particularly focused on abuse of government authority to censor American citizens under the guise of protecting them from so-called misinformation,” wrote Chairman Comer.
In June 2024, Chairman Comer requested NewsGuard provide all current and past contracts with government entities. NewsGuard has provided information to the Oversight Committee regarding contracts with the Department of Defense. However, NewsGuard revealed in a briefing with Oversight Committee staff that it has also performed work with the Joint Research Centre of the European Union, and the Global Engagement Center of the State Department, and with the Cyber National Mission Force within U.S. Cyber Command.
“These wide-ranging connections with various government agencies are taking place as the government is rapidly expanding into the censorship sphere. For example, one search of government grants and contracts from 2016 through 2023 revealed that there were 538 separate grants and 36 different government contracts specifically to address ‘misinformation’ and ‘disinformation,’” continued Chairman Comer. “The protection of First Amendment rights of American citizens is paramount and attempts by government actors to infringe on those rights is dangerous and misguided.”
Read the letter to NewsGuard here.