The FBI Thought It Was Censoring Americans on Behalf of Ukraine.
They Were Actually Censoring Americans For the Benefit of Russia.

Whoops!

Whoopsie!

Of course, censoring Americans for any foreign power is illegal. In fact, the government censorship of any American for the benefit of the American government is illegal too.

But this illustrates another problem with censors: Censors are stupid. They are among the stupidest people in any system of government, because they're the people afraid of ideas. The people afraid of reading and thinking, and terrified at the idea that other people might enjoy these things.

And so our incompetent, criminal FBI was duped like the sad clown they are and acted as the catspaw of Russian intelligence and censored speech that RUSSIAN AGENTS didn't like.

Kerry Picket for the Washington Times:

The FBI was enlisted by the Security Service of Ukraine soon after the Russian invasion to demand social media platforms take down posts and block accounts such as those belonging to American journalists, according to House Judiciary Committee investigators.

It is now suspected that Russian agents had infiltrated the Ukraine intelligence agency, known by the acronym SBU, potentially manipulating the FBI's attempts to censor the journalists and at least one State Department official.

The FBI also vouched for removing social media posts that were pro-Ukraine or critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the report.

"Given that the SBU was compromised by a network of Russian collaborators, sympathizers, and double agents at the time of its interactions with the FBI, the FBI's uncritical cooperation with the SBU's requests is deeply concerning," said the report by panel's Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.

"The inclusion of American accounts on the SBU's lists indicates that the FBI either did not properly vet the SBU's requests or was aware of their domestic nature, and nonetheless carried them out. In so doing, the FBI violated the First Amendment rights of Americans and potentially undermined our national security," the report said.

Five months after the Russian invasion, in July 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the head of the SBU because the intelligence agency had been compromised by Russian spies.

The FBI declined to comment for this article.

The double-whammy for the FBI -- engaging in social media censorship and getting duped into doing it for a foreign adversary -- only adds to the woes at America's premier law enforcement agency. The FBI has been battered by whistleblowers and other critics who say the bureau suffers from mismanagement and politically biased leadership and has conducted a string of politically motivated investigations targeting conservatives.

Is censoring Americans on behalf of RUSSIAN AGENTS treason, or nah?

Christopher Wray will testify before Congress tomorrow. Whoops: He's testifying today.

I imagine he will defend his record as the leader of the Armed Censorship Agency of the Regime. And then he'll leave early to jump on a taxpayer-funded jet to get an early start on a five-day weekend in the Adirondacks.

posted by Ace at 01:50 PM

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