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Tag: election interference
February 12, 2024
Wake Up Right
Election 2024
TECH

Zuckerberg’s Election Interference Campaign Begins.

Instagram and Threads, both social media platforms owned by Mark Zuckerberg, are rolling out new tools to limit the amount of political content you see ahead of the 2024 election.

The details: Instagram wrote in a press release Friday: “we won’t proactively recommend content about politics on recommendation surfaces across Instagram and Threads.”

  • The ‘recommendation surfaces’ are the areas of the app where it recommends content from people you don’t follow, like Explore, Reels, In-Feed Recommendations, and Suggested Users.
  • They claim this update will not affect accounts you already follow.

Why that matters: Content creators on Instagram [like me] rely on the recommendation surfaces to reach new people. This new roll-out will make it more difficult for breaking political news [think the Hunter Biden laptop in 2020] to reach new people as we approach the 2024 election cycle.

A small caveat: Instagram says it will allow users to opt in to get recommended political content. The problem is that very few people will know about this option. Since you know about it, Here’s how you can opt in:

  • Go to ‘Settings and privacy’ > ‘Content preferences’ > ‘Political content’ and select ‘Don’t limit.’
Big picture: Mark Zuckerberg spent hundreds of millions of dollars during the 2020 election to get out the vote in mostly Democrat-leaning areas. So, election interference is no new venture for the tech billionaire.
This article is adapted from the free ‘Wake Up Right’ newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.
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facebook
February 3, 2024
News
Politics
TECH

Meta Oversight Board Member Says 2020 Election Meddling Was Not Enough, Will Do More In 2024.

Pamela San Martín, a member of Meta’s oversight board, suggested in an interview that Facebook did not do enough to control user speech during previous election cycles — Meta is the parent company of Facebook. Despite actions taken against the New York Post‘s distribution of news on Hunter Biden’s laptop and former President Donald Trump’s removal from both Facebook and Instagram, San Martín claimed that more needed to be done to address potential misuse of the platform, including coordinated campaigns and bot activity aimed at undermining electoral trust and stability.

In the run-up to the 2020 elections, measures were taken by Facebook to restrict the distribution of certain news and remove ads making false claims about voter fraud. Responses from Facebook included taking down posts, flagging content for fact-checking, and promising a ban on political ads making false claims, especially concerning voter fraud. Despite these efforts, San Martín insists these attempts to control user speech were insufficient.

San Martín praised Meta’s recent efforts to further control content related to election issues, including working with electoral authorities, adding labels to politically related posts, redirecting users to reliable information sources, and implementing message forwarding limits on WhatsApp. However, she emphasized a need for Facebook to continue capturing the impact of its own algorithms and recommendation systems on the democratic process, indicating she wants to see more of such efforts, not less. San Martín told Wired, “Social media platforms need to learn from past mistakes to be able to address them better this year.”

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Pamela San Martín, a member of Meta's oversight board, suggested in an interview that Facebook did not do enough to control user speech during previous election cycles — Meta is the parent company of Facebook. Despite actions taken against the New York Post's distribution of news on Hunter Biden's laptop and former President Donald Trump's removal from both Facebook and Instagram, San Martín claimed that more needed to be done to address potential misuse of the platform, including coordinated campaigns and bot activity aimed at undermining electoral trust and stability. show more
January 30, 2024
Election 2024
Politics

3,000+ Leftist Groups Involved in Anti-Trump Efforts.

A complex network of over 3,000 left-wing groups led by an organization called “Indivisible” is reportedly engaged in efforts to undermine the influence of former President Donald Trump. Investigative research conducted by Northeast Florida-based conservative grassroots activist Jessico Bowman hints at a well-coordinated movement to extricate Trump from his 2024 election bid backed by several anti-Trump organizations and charities managed by — or associated with — Indivisible.

Modeled after the conservative Tea Party moment, the group has worked to influence Democrat lawmakers at the state and national levels. They work to encourage Democrat office-holders to adopt increasingly radical talking points and actions to undermine Donald Trump and the MAGA movement’s policy agenda.

Bowman claims her research shows that Indivisible has exerted influence even over President Joe Biden. The group claims the 81-year-old Democrat has often used their talking points in the media.

Indivisible, previously known to have supported Hillary Clinton in 2016, has its stated mission as “remaking our democracy” and aims to “resist the Trump agenda.” The organization’s website indicates that it’s a “movement of thousands of group leaders and more than a million members” taking steps to oppose the GOP’s agenda, support local champions, and advocate for progressive policies.

The website also provides a map and a list of all affiliated organizations across the United States. Displaying over 3,000 group names, locations, and social media links, it offers users an insight into the extensive web of left-wing groups connected under the Indivisible umbrella. Since 2017, the group has received several million dollars in donations from George Soros–affiliated foundations and PACs.

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A complex network of over 3,000 left-wing groups led by an organization called "Indivisible" is reportedly engaged in efforts to undermine the influence of former President Donald Trump. Investigative research conducted by Northeast Florida-based conservative grassroots activist Jessico Bowman hints at a well-coordinated movement to extricate Trump from his 2024 election bid backed by several anti-Trump organizations and charities managed by — or associated with — Indivisible. show more
January 27, 2024
Election 2024

Ben Carson Warns If Trump Is Kicked Off 2024 Ballot ‘America Will Never Be The Same Again.’

Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, voiced concerns Friday over the potential implications for future presidential bids if President Trump’s numerous legal battles contribute to his political downfall, the consequences of which Carson believes could set a distressing precedent.

Speaking with GBNews host Nigel Farage, Carson said: “I think a lot of people who don’t actually care for him in terms of his personality recognize that if we allow his opponents to use the Department of Justice to eliminate him as a viable candidate, America will never be the same again.”

President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an unprecedented lawfare campaign against former President Trump — the presumptive Republican presidential nominee — ahead of the 2024 election. DOJ special prosecutor Jack Smith is pursuing federal charges against Trump in Washington, D.C., and Florida.

Meanwhile, Democrat Party-aligned groups, some with direct ties to the Biden government, have undertaken efforts to remove the former President from state election ballots across the country — successful in Colorado and Maine. After hearing arguments in February, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to weigh in.

While Carson did not offer any specific predictions should Trump be barred from running in 2024, his remarks do underscore the growing schism in America over Biden’s efforts to prosecute Trump.

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Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, voiced concerns Friday over the potential implications for future presidential bids if President Trump’s numerous legal battles contribute to his political downfall, the consequences of which Carson believes could set a distressing precedent. show more
January 19, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Corruption
Election 2024
Politics

‘Zuckerbucks’ Group Begins Interfering in 2024 Election.

The Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), which spent tens of millions of dollars boosting turnout in Democrat districts in 2020, is moving to help election officials secure Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants ahead of the 2024 election. FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) fund includes $701 million in competitive grants, ostensibly to protect public infrastructure against hazards such as floods  — but the CTCL says it can also be used to “improve elections operations” as “elections are a critical service.”

The CTCL is leading a webinar series, starting January 25th, to help election officials apply for the FEMA grants and provide “inspiration for what the grant funds can be used for.” Previously, the CTCL used “Zuckerbucks” from the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative to fund supposedly nonpartisan projects in collaboration with local officials to increase turnout.

These projects overwhelmingly benefited Democrat-leaning areas. Phillip Kline of the Amistad Project argues the spending was, therefore, illegal, as it resulted in some voters having more opportunities to vote and have their votes counted than others.

“[W] e’ve privatized our elections, that’s the problem,” Kline said of the involvement of actors like the CTCL in elections earlier this month.

“We have private resources in election offices… America’s been kicked out of the counting room, nonprofits, and billionaires have been invited in,” added the former Kansas Attorney General.

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The Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), which spent tens of millions of dollars boosting turnout in Democrat districts in 2020, is moving to help election officials secure Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants ahead of the 2024 election. FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) fund includes $701 million in competitive grants, ostensibly to protect public infrastructure against hazards such as floods  — but the CTCL says it can also be used to “improve elections operations” as “elections are a critical service.” show more
Willis
January 15, 2024
Corruption
Election 2024

Georgia DA Fani Willis Blames Racism For Allegation of Improper Relationship With Special Prosecutor, While Not Denying It.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is prosecuting Donald Trump and others for alleged election interference, has claimed that allegations of her having an improper romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade are racist, and that efforts are being focused on Wade due to his skin color.

“First thing they say, ‘Oh, she’s gonna play the race card now,'” said Willis during an appearance at Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta on Sunday.

Court documents filed earlier this month allege that Willis hired Wade, her alleged romantic partner, to work on the Trump case, resulting in personal financial gain for the DA in the form of extravagant vacations the pair went on that were funded by the proceeds Wade’s firm received for working the case.

Accusations against Willis include ‘improper’ and ‘clandestine’ involvement with Wade at the same time as appointments were being made for the 2020 election interference case. The complainant, Mike Roman, a former 2020 Trump campaign official, claims that the integrity of the case was compromised due to the alleged affair. Roman has requested the charges against him be dropped on these grounds, arguing that Willis chose to appoint her romantic partner, who was a married man.

Fulton County records show that since January 2022 Wade has been paid approximately $654,000 in legal fees, a sum directly approved by Willis. A call embodied in the court documents requests that the entirety of the district attorney’s office, including Willis and Wade, be disqualified from conducting the prosecution of the case.

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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is prosecuting Donald Trump and others for alleged election interference, has claimed that allegations of her having an improper romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade are racist, and that efforts are being focused on Wade due to his skin color. show more
January 9, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Corruption
Crime
Politics

Fulton County DA Fani Willis ‘Had Affair With Married Special Prosecutor, Funded Vacations with Public Money.’

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, pursuing Donald Trump for supposed election interference in Georgia, and married special prosecutor Nathan Wade have been accused of engaging in an “improper” and “clandestine” relationship by lawyers for Michael Roman, one of the former president’s co-defendants.

Willis and Wade are accused of personally enriching themselves, with Wade having been paid almost $654,000 in legal fees authorized by the DA since his appointment in January 2022. Wade is said to have used this money to bring Willis on vacations in Florida and Napa Valley and to take her on Caribbean cruises.

Roman’s lawyers are calling for the charges against him to be thrown out, with the DA and special prosecutor potentially facing investigation for the federal crimes of honest service fraud and racketeering.

“The district attorney chose to appoint her romantic partner, who at all times relevant to this prosecution has been a married man,” Roman attorney Ashleigh Merchant wrote in a filing.

Merchant is calling for the case to be dropped “on the grounds that the district attorney and the special prosecutor have been engaged in an improper, clandestine personal relationship during the pendency of this case, which has resulted in the special prosecutor, and, in turn, the district attorney, profiting significantly from this prosecution at the expense of the taxpayers.”

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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, pursuing Donald Trump for supposed election interference in Georgia, and married special prosecutor Nathan Wade have been accused of engaging in an "improper" and "clandestine" relationship by lawyers for Michael Roman, one of the former president's co-defendants. show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
The full motion to dismiss can be read here
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The full motion to dismiss can be read here show more
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January 2, 2024
Election 2024
Politics

Ex-CIA Man Hints at Intel Agency Interference in 2024 Election.

A Georgetown University professor and former CIA intelligence analyst, Dr. John Gentry, has warned that the politicization of the intelligence community and its focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are significant concerns. In his recently published book “Neutering the CIA: Why US Intelligence Versus Trump Has Long-Term Consequences”, Gentry claims these factors could lead to interference in the 2024 elections.

“My guess is that the the proverbial deep state within the intelligence community will reemerge because presumably a Republican candidate will again be seen as a threat to the internal policies that many intelligence people like,” said Gentry, who discussed the response to the Hunter Biden laptop story, falsely “debunked” by 51 former intelligence officials in a letter approved by the CIA. The approval of this letter was a clear political move intended to aid the Biden campaign, according to Gentry.

“I long have thought we are likely to again see former intelligence officers be politically active against Trump or whomever the Republican presidential candidate is next year, and I expect leaking to resume,” Gentry said in an interview with Fox News. “The activities of ‘formers’ have resumed already, a bit before I expected.”

Gentry also expressed concern over DEI policies in key intelligence agencies, including the CIA, arguing they detract from operational efficiency and promote a politically charged agenda. He points to the introduction of these policies under President Obama as significantly transforming the federal workforce. While Gentry admits internal political discussions were not as prevalent during his time in the CIA, agency sources say activism became commonplace under Obama. This shift, facilitated by figures like former CIA Director John Brennan and ex-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, has reportedly negatively impacted employee morale. Gentry says his hope is that his book will enlighten readers about the “significant political problem within the agencies.”

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A Georgetown University professor and former CIA intelligence analyst, Dr. John Gentry, has warned that the politicization of the intelligence community and its focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are significant concerns. In his recently published book "Neutering the CIA: Why US Intelligence Versus Trump Has Long-Term Consequences", Gentry claims these factors could lead to interference in the 2024 elections. show more
November 15, 2023
Jack Montgomery
News

Jenna Ellis Raised $220K Pledging to Fight Georgia Case While Selling Trump Out to Prosecutors.

Former Donald Trump attorney Jenna Ellis attempted to sell out the 45th President to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis despite claiming she would fight the RICO indictment the Georgia Democrat brought against her, raising almost $220,000 from MAGA conservatives to help her do so.

Ellis, now a Ron DeSantis booster, was included in RICO charges alongside Trump, Sidney Powell, and others related to alleged election interference. She raised $216,000 on GiveSendGo claiming she would “stand for the truth” but later tearfully pleaded guilty in exchange for reduced charges.

It now emerges she also flipped on the former president, claiming Trump official Dan Scavino said they planned on refusing to leave the White House on December 19th 2020, after she had told him the legal fight against the election results “was essentially over.”

“[H]e said to me, in a kind of excited tone, ‘Well, we don’t care, and we’re not going to leave,'” Ellis told prosecutors in a so-called “proffer session”.

“And I said, ‘What do you mean?’ And he said ‘Well, the boss’, meaning President Trump – and everyone understood ‘the boss,’ that’s what we all called him – he said, ‘The boss is not going to leave under any circumstances. We are just going to stay in power,'” she continued.

Ellis claims she told Scavino “it doesn’t quite work that way, you realize?” and Scavino responded: “We don’t care.”

Trump did leave the White House of January 20th, however – and Trump lead counsel Steve Sadow insists that it “the only salient fact to this nonsense line of inquiry”.

“If this is the type of bogus, ridiculous ‘evidence’ DA Willis intends to rely upon, it is one more reason that this political, travesty of a case must be dismissed,” Sadow added.

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Former Donald Trump attorney Jenna Ellis attempted to sell out the 45th President to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis despite claiming she would fight the RICO indictment the Georgia Democrat brought against her, raising almost $220,000 from MAGA conservatives to help her do so. show more
August 14, 2023
Jack Montgomery
News
Politics

Georgia Prosecutors Seek Trump Indictment This Week.

Prosecutors in Atlanta, Georgia, are expected to ask a grand jury to indict Donald Trump and others over alleged “election interference” in the state early this week, following an “investigation” led by Democrat partisan District Attorney Fani Willis.

Willis, who has been repeatedly denounced as an anti-white “racist”, alleges “a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere.”

Willis’s investigation is perhaps even more controversial than those of George Soros-linked Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Michelle Obama-linked federal prosecutor Jack Smith, with the Democrat being rebuked by the courts in July for fundraising for someone running against a conservative politician her investigation targeted. A judge described this as “a ‘what are you thinking?’ moment”.

She received further criticism by launching a new fundraising page for herself as the indictment decision looms.

“I hear that RACIST Fulton County (Atlanta) District Attorney ‘Phoney’ Fani Willis, who weakly presides over one of the deadliest communities in the U.S… is using a potential Indictment of me, and other innocent people, as a campaign and fundraising CON JOB,” Trump said of her behavior.

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Prosecutors in Atlanta, Georgia, are expected to ask a grand jury to indict Donald Trump and others over alleged “election interference” in the state early this week, following an “investigation” led by Democrat partisan District Attorney Fani Willis. show more