{"id":1937190,"date":"2023-05-24T17:47:18","date_gmt":"2023-05-24T21:47:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/irs-opened-investigation-into-matt-taibbi-the-same-day-he-blew-the-whistle-on-twitter-and-the-feds-censorship-scheme\/"},"modified":"2023-05-24T17:50:09","modified_gmt":"2023-05-24T21:50:09","slug":"irs-opened-investigation-into-matt-taibbi-the-same-day-he-blew-the-whistle-on-twitter-and-the-feds-censorship-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/irs-opened-investigation-into-matt-taibbi-the-same-day-he-blew-the-whistle-on-twitter-and-the-feds-censorship-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"IRS probes Matt Taibbi for exposing Twitter and federal censorship."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Firs-opened-investigation-into-matt-taibbi-the-same-day-he-blew-the-whistle-on-twitter-and-the-feds-censorship-scheme%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1937190&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The IRS Investigates Independent Reporter Matt Taibbi After Twitter Files Report<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<div>\n<figure>\n      <!-- image goes here --><br \/>\n    <\/figure>\n<p>The IRS opened an investigation into independent reporter Matt Taibbi the same day he published a \u201cTwitter Files\u201d report documenting efforts between the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-new-acting-attorney-general-jeff-rosen-recently-wrote-an-essay-on-foreign-influence-in-us-elections-this-tells-us-a-little-about-his-knowledge-of-whats-going-on-today\/\" title=\"The New Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen Recently Wrote an Essay on Foreign Influence in US Elections \u2013 This Tells Us A Little About His Knowledge of What\u2019s Going On Today\">social media platform<\/a> and federal intelligence agencies to censor dissenting voices online.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee sent a <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/meetings\/JU\/JU00\/20230524\/116023\/HMKP-118-JU00-20230524-SD005.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">letter<\/a> to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel demanding all documents and communications related to the agency\u2019s decision to launch an investigation into Taibbi. According to the letter, the IRS\u2019s inquiry was initiated on Dec. 24, 2022 \u2014 the same day Taibbi released a bombshell report detailing collusion between Twitter and the federal government to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/irs-opened-investigation-into-matt-taibbi-the-same-day-he-blew-the-whistle-on-twitter-and-the-feds-censorship-scheme\/\" title=\"IRS probes Matt Taibbi for exposing Twitter and federal censorship.\">silence online voices disapproved<\/a> of by the regime.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe IRS\u2019s production shows that the IRS opened its examination of Mr. Taibbi\u2019s 2018 tax return on December 24, 2022,\u201d wrote Committee Chair and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. \u201cNot only was this date Christmas Eve and a Saturday, but it also happened to be three weeks after he published the first Twitter Files detailing government abuses and the same day that Mr. Taibbi published the ninth segment of the Twitter Files, detailing how federal government agencies \u2018from the State Department to the Pentagon to the CIA\u2019 coordinated to censor and coerce speech on various <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/businessman-kevin-oleary-defends-free-speech-online\/\" title=\"Businessman Kevin O\u2019Leary defends free speech online\">social media platforms<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In his <a href=\"https:\/\/twitterfiles.substack.com\/p\/twitter-and-other-government-agencies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dec. 24 report<\/a>, based on \u201cdocuments passed to Twitter by the FBI-led\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fbi.gov\/investigate\/counterintelligence\/foreign-influence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Foreign Influence Task Force<\/a>,\u201d Taibbi revealed Twitter \u201cwas receiving content recommendations in bulk from an array of federal agencies through the FBI, about a range of topics \u2014 from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/education-group-reveres-black-panther-party-in-new-lesson-plan\/\" title=\"Education Group Reveres Black Panther Party In New Lesson Plan\">domestic extremist groups<\/a> in the U.S. to \u2026 Joe Biden, and the energy company Burisma.\u201d The report also showed that Twitter \u2014 along with Facebook and dozens of other tech-related firms \u2014 regularly attended FITF-led gatherings, where \u201ccompanies often received an \u2018OGA briefing,\u2019 usually about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-snubs-gop-leaders-on-new-iran-diplomacy\/\" title=\"Biden Admin Snubs GOP Leaders on New Iran Diplomacy\">foreign policy matters<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Taibbi, OGA is often <a href=\"https:\/\/www.racket.news\/p\/my-crazy-irs-case?r=5mz1&#038;utm_campaign=post&#038;utm_medium=web\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">used<\/a> as a euphemism for \u201cintelligence services in general, or the CIA in particular.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During his March 9 testimony before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, Taibbi <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.house.gov\/meetings\/JU\/JU00\/20230524\/116023\/HMKP-118-JU00-20230524-SD005.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">revealed<\/a> the IRS had visited his home that same day, prompting Jordan to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/news\/jim-jordan-demands-irs-explain-unannounced-visit-to-matt-taibbis-home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">send<\/a> a letter to the agency requesting information about its home visit. While the IRS produced some documents, those provided to the committee \u201craise more questions than they answer,\u201d according to Jordan.<\/p>\n<p>Equally alarming, however, is the tactics with which the IRS used to dig up any dirt it could find on Taibbi. Jordan revealed that a month after opening its inquiry, the agent assigned to Taibbi\u2019s case was instructed to perform an \u201cextensive investigation,\u201d which included \u201cusing publicly available search engines and commercial investigative software such as Anywho, Consumer Affairs, LexisNexis Accruint, and Google.\u201d The documents provided to the committee also purportedly show the agency kept a \u201cdossier\u201d on Taibbi that included information such as his phone numbers, voter registration records, whether he had a concealed weapons permit, and whether he possessed a hunting or fishing license.<\/p>\n<p>Taibbi\u2019s Wikipedia page was also examined during the investigation.<\/p>\n<p>Notably, the IRS documents acquired by Jordan reveal that Taibbi \u201cdid not owe the IRS anything,\u201d but rather, \u201cthe IRS owed Mr. Taibbi a substantial refund.\u201d The aforementioned documents do not, however, provide any information regarding \u201cthe IRS\u2019s decision-making process to open a case against Mr. Taibbi, or to conduct a field visit at his home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jordan is demanding the IRS forfeit any and all records related to the agency\u2019s investigation into Taibbi no later than May 31. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>About the Author:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Shawn Fleetwood<\/strong> is a Staff Writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He also serves as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The IRS launched an inquiry into journalist Matt Taibbi on the same day he released a report on Twitter&#8217;s collaboration with federal intelligence agencies to suppress opposing voices online. The House Judiciary Committee has requested all relevant documents and correspondence from IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":1937191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[6371,9908,3974,8362,3622,11243,9728,4253],"class_list":["post-1937190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-censorship","tag-exposing","tag-federal","tag-irs","tag-matt","tag-probes","tag-taibbi","tag-twitter"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1937190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1937190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1937190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1937191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1937190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1937190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1937190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}