It was recently reported that the Department of Homeland Security’s so-called “Disinformation Governance Board” is being put on hold amid an outcry of free speech concerns and threats of legal action from Republican lawmakers.
According to the Washington Post, the “Disinformation Governance Board” Director Nina Jankowicz will resign. Jankowicz has been heavily criticized for pushing debunked Trump-Russia collusion theories as well as stories about the unverified Steele dossier.
The outlet reported that DHS made the decision on Monday and that Jankowicz drafted her resignation letter.
“After six years dedicated to the study of disinformation and best practices in responding to it, I joined the Department of Homeland Security to be the executive director of the Disinformation Governance Board with the intention of supporting the Department’s important work addressing disinformation that affects the homeland,” Jankowicz said.
“With the Board’s work paused and its future uncertain … I have decided to leave DHS to return to my work in the public sphere. It is deeply disappointing that mischaracterizations of the Board became a distraction from the Department’s vital work, and indeed, along with recent events globally and nationally, embodies why it is necessary. I maintain my commitment to building awareness of disinformation’s threats and trust the Department will do the same,” Jankowicz added.
Republicans took aim at the Disinformation Governance Board earlier this month, with some critics calling it the “Ministry of Truth,” a reference to the organization that policed speech in the George Orwell book “1984.”
Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson announced on Twitter that he and other Republicans have issued a bill to dissolve the group.
“Today I led 50 @HouseGOP Members in introducing a bill to defund Biden’s ‘Ministry of Truth.’ The government has no role in determining what constitutes truth or acceptable speech, and this dystopian, unconstitutional board must be dissolved. If Biden won’t do it, then we will,” he said.
“The Biden Administration’s decision to stand up a ‘Ministry of Truth,’ is dystopian in design, almost certainly unconstitutional, and clearly doomed from the start,” he said in a press release on his website. “The government has no role whatsoever in determining what constitutes truth or acceptable speech. President Biden should dissolve this board immediately and entirely. If he won’t then Republicans will.”
“The legislation bars federal funding for DHS’ recently announced ‘Disinformation Governance Board,’ to be headed by Executive Director Nina Jankowicz,” the press release said.
“Jankowicz, who refers to herself as the ‘Mary Poppins of Disinformation,’ is a frequent purveyor of falsehoods, and appears sympathetic to the cause of censoring Americans,” it said.
