Nina Jankowicz, once the face of the now-defunct Disinformation Governance Board, has shed light on the Department of Homeland Security’s deliberate lack of transparency amidst a barrage of justified criticism that led to the board’s demise.
During a deposition with Congress, Jankowicz disclosed the internal decisions at DHS that addressed widespread misgivings about the struggling board. This critical deposition occurred last April, but the House Judiciary Committee members only agreed this week to release its transcript after it was mentioned during a hearing.
Jankowicz, in the closed-door interview, revealed that her superiors, particularly Jen Daskal, a lawyer and co-chair of the board, prevented her from being transparent about the board’s workings. She recounted how she was instructed to remain vague, much to her frustration, suggesting that the orders originated from higher-ups within the department.
Jankowicz’s appointment as the executive director of the Disinformation Governance Board was brief, lasting just over two months from March to May 2022. Her resignation came amid a storm of backlash, primarily from Republicans who accused the board of targeting conservative viewpoints and voiced suspicions about its impartiality. DHS ultimately disbanded the board following her resignation.
Post-resignation, Jankowicz did not hold back, criticizing DHS for what she described as their mishandling of the board’s launch and their failure to tackle the criticisms head-on. During her deposition, she expressed feeling like a scapegoat, abandoned by the agency when public opinion turned sharply against the board. “I do believe I was thrown under the bus to some degree,” Jankowicz lamented, accusing DHS of opting for the easier route of allowing the board’s work to be undermined rather than standing firm.
From the moment DHS unveiled the board, it faced a wave of concerns about its potential to silence right-leaning voices. Jankowicz’s openly pro-Biden stance, evidenced by her historical online posts, only intensified these fears. For instance, posts on X showed her backing the dubious Steele dossier and doubting the New York Post’s explosive Hunter Biden laptop story. These revelations, combined with her past as a Biden campaign policy adviser, cast a long shadow of bias.
During her deposition, Jankowicz refused to engage with questions about her partisan social media history, deferring to her attorney’s advice. She outright declined to address how her political affiliations pre-dating her tenure at the board were pertinent.
Jankowicz admitted that DHS failed in its duty to inform the public adequately, leaving a void filled by speculation and distrust. She waved off concerns that the board would act as a “ministry of truth,” yet this was precisely how it was perceived within hours of its announcement—a perception that effectively turned the board into a lightning rod for criticism.
The unveiling of Jankowicz’s deposition transcript adds fuel to ongoing controversies surrounding the Biden administration and DHS, particularly their efforts to coordinate with or pressure social media giants into censoring dissenting information. A significant case before the Supreme Court, Murthy v. Missouri, will soon determine whether federal overreach violated the First Amendment by directing how these companies moderate their content.
Moving forward, Jankowicz continues her mission to combat “disinformation” through nonprofit efforts, most recently founding the American Sunlight Project. In a letter to pivotal congressional figures like Reps. Jim Jordan and James Comer, who spearheaded investigations into her and DHS, she claimed disinformation is nonpartisan and threatens democracy. However, critics remain wary of her true intents and the potential impact on liberty and freedom of speech.
While Jankowicz presents herself as a victim of bureaucratic mismanagement, the core issue remains the same: government overreach and the suppression of conservative voices must be rigorously scrutinized and opposed to uphold true liberty.
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