{"id":2166837,"date":"2024-02-03T08:52:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-03T13:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-refuses-to-allow-former-covid-19-adviser-to-testify-before-congress-in-censorship-investigation\/"},"modified":"2024-02-03T08:57:37","modified_gmt":"2024-02-03T13:57:37","slug":"white-house-refuses-to-allow-former-covid-19-adviser-to-testify-before-congress-in-censorship-investigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-refuses-to-allow-former-covid-19-adviser-to-testify-before-congress-in-censorship-investigation\/","title":{"rendered":"White House denies ex-COVID-19 adviser&#8217;s testimony in censorship probe"},"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\">18<\/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%2Fwhite-house-refuses-to-allow-former-covid-19-adviser-to-testify-before-congress-in-censorship-investigation%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=2166837&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>Former COVID-19\u2064 Adviser Defies Subpoena After White House Intervention<\/h2>\n<p>A former senior adviser on COVID-19 in the Biden administration has made headlines this\u200b week after being forced \u200cto defy a \u2063congressional\u200d subpoena. \u2064Andrew Slavitt, a respected health official who played a crucial role in President Joe Biden&#8217;s coronavirus response team, was scheduled to appear before the House Judiciary Committee. However, the White House instructed him not to comply with the subpoena due\u200b to concerns about the rules surrounding his appearance.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;To protect the constitutional separation of powers and the institutional interests \u2064of\u200d the\u200c White House, I write to inform you that the White House does not authorize Mr. Slavitt to appear at the Committee&#8217;s scheduled deposition,&#8221; wrote White House counsel Richard Sauber in a letter \u200cto Slavitt&#8217;s attorney.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Chairman Jim Jordan \u2063of the Judiciary Committee also received a letter from\u2063 Sauber, expressing the administration&#8217;s objection to the forthcoming deposition with \u2062Robert Flaherty, Biden&#8217;s former director of digital strategy.<\/p>\n<p>The committee&#8217;s interest in speaking with Slavitt and Flaherty\u200b stems from \u200ctheir \u2063involvement in <a title=\"\u2018The Road To Serfdom\u2019: Rep. Donalds Slams Biden Administration For Pressuring Social Media \u2018To Censor Speech\u2019\" href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-road-to-serfdom-rep-donalds-slams-biden-administration-for-pressuring-social-media-to-censor-speech\/\">pressuring social media companies<\/a> to censor COVID-19-related content. Flaherty, who now works \u200cfor\u2062 the Biden presidential campaign, was specifically mentioned in a federal judge&#8217;s memorandum for\u200b his role in coercing platforms like \u2062Meta, X, and YouTube to remove certain content.<\/p>\n<p>Flaherty would frequently demand reports from these companies on their content removal practices, particularly targeting posts related to &#8220;vaccine hesitancy&#8221; and &#8220;borderline content.&#8221; In one instance, he expressed frustration with Meta&#8217;s efforts to censor a group known as the\u2063 &#8220;disinformation dozen.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Are you guys\u2062 f***ing serious? I want an answer on what happened here and I want it today,&#8221; Flaherty wrote to Meta.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Slavitt \u200balso raised concerns internally about \u200cthe lack of censorship, stating in an email, &#8220;Internally, we have been considering our options on what to do about [the lack of censorship].&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The\u2064 Judiciary Committee now faces the decision of potentially suing these former officials or \u200cholding them in contempt\u2062 of Congress for\u200c failing to comply with the subpoenas. \u2062A committee spokesperson stated, \u2063&#8221;Everything is on the table as to what comes next.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>When asked for comment, the White House referred to Sauber&#8217;s correspondence, which highlighted the Department of Justice&#8217;s position that government counsel should be present \u200cat certain depositions. However, the \u200cJudiciary Committee disputes this stance.<\/p>\n<p>This is not the first \u200dtime the committee has encountered resistance\u200c from the Biden administration regarding depositions and interviews. The committee has consistently maintained that witnesses\u2064 may \u2063appear with \u2064personal counsel but\u2064 not government counsel, unless\u2063 it \u200dis a transcribed interview and the witness does not have personal counsel.<\/p>\n<p>Slavitt&#8217;s attorney wrote\u200b to Chairman Jordan, explaining that his\u200b client had \u200ctraveled from California to Washington, D.C., to meet with the committee. However, due to the White House&#8217;s instruction, Slavitt was\u2062 unable to appear.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>What are the concerns raised by the White House&#8217;s intervention in <a title=\"Republican Senators Warn Biden Admin Running Covert Censorship Operation\" href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republican-senators-warn-biden-admin-running-covert-censorship-operation\/\">pressuring <\/a><a 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\" 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\/\">social media platforms<\/a> to remove certain \u200cCOVID-19 information?<\/h2>\n<p>Ty is accused of coordinating efforts to remove posts on Facebook that contained what\u2063 the administration deemed\u200d to be &#8220;misinformation&#8221; about \u2062the virus and its vaccines.\u2062 Slavitt, on the other\u200b hand, allegedly advocated for YouTube to censor content that contradicted \u2062the official messaging from the Biden administration.<\/p>\n<p>The White \u200dHouse&#8217;s intervention in this\u200c matter raises concerns about the extent\u200c to which the administration is willing to go to control the \u200cnarrative \u2062surrounding COVID-19. Critics argue that pressuring social media platforms to censor certain information stifles\u200d free speech \u2064and limits the public&#8217;s access to\u2062 a variety of viewpoints.<\/p>\n<p>This clash between the White House and Congress underscores \u2062the ongoing \u200bpower struggle between\u2062 the executive and legislative branches. It highlights \u2062the delicate balance between\u2064 the need for transparency and accountability and the president&#8217;s authority to assert\u200d executive privilege.<\/p>\n<p>The House Judiciary Committee has vowed to continue its investigation into \u2063the handling of COVID-19 information and the potential influence on social media platforms. However, this incident with Slavitt defying the subpoena demonstrates the challenges faced by Congress \u2062when the White House asserts its authority over its former officials.<\/p>\n<p>In\u2063 response to Slavitt&#8217;s \u2063refusal to comply with the subpoena, Chairman Jim Jordan issued a \u2063statement \u200bexpressing disappointment and asserting the committee&#8217;s commitment to uncovering the truth. He noted that the American people have \u200dthe \u2064right to know if government officials are <a title=\"Tiffany Justice claims RFK Jr. was silenced due to Moms for Liberty's powerful influence.\" href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rfk-jr-bullied-from-speaking-as-moms-for-liberty-posed-a-threat-to-power-tiffany-justice\/\">exerting undue influence<\/a> over social media platforms.<\/p>\n<p>The implications of this clash between the White House\u2062 and Congress extend beyond the immediate issue at hand. It highlights the <a title=\"Senate Democrats' foreign aid plan risks funding terrorists with taxpayer dollars\" href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-democrats-foreign-aid-plan-could-put-taxpayer-dollars-in-terrorists-pockets\/\">broader tensions surrounding<\/a> the role of technology platforms in shaping public discourse, as well as the limits of executive power.<\/p>\n<p>Some argue that there needs to be clearer guidance on the role social media companies\u200c should\u200d play in regulating content. Others call for greater transparency from \u200bthe government in its interactions \u2064with these platforms. The outcome of this dispute and the ongoing investigation may have significant implications for the future of online speech \u200band the balance of \u200cpower between\u200d the executive and\u200c legislative branches.<\/p>\n<p>As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, it\u2063 is crucial that the public has \u2062access \u2064to accurate and reliable information. However, it is equally important to ensure \u2062that the \u2063free flow of ideas and diverse viewpoints is\u200c not stifled in the process. Striking the right balance between these competing interests remains a complex challenge, one \u200dthat policymakers \u200band society as a whole must grapple with in\u2064 the months and years ahead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A former COVID-19 senior adviser in the Biden administration, Andrew Slavitt, defied a congressional subpoena due to White House instructions. Concerns over appearance rules led to non-compliance. Slavitt, a seasoned health official, had worked on President Biden&#8217;s coronavirus response team<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":2166838,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP24032513527602-1-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"White House denies ex-COVID-19 adviser&#8217;s testimony in censorship probe","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2166837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP24032513527602-1-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"White House denies ex-COVID-19 adviser&#8217;s testimony in censorship probe","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2166837","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\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2166837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2166837\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2166838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2166837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2166837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2166837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}