During a House Judiciary Committee hearing on July 12, 2023, Representative Mike Johnson from Louisiana confronted FBI Director Christopher Wray about the FBI's alleged role in stifling conservative viewpoints online. The hearing followed a recent court ruling that detailed the bureau's purported suppression of conservative discussions on topics ranging from the Hunter Biden laptop to COVID-19 origins.
Johnson expressed astonishment that Wray's opening statement and accompanying report omitted any mention of the July 4th injunction issued by Judge Terry Doughty. This injunction directed the White House, the Justice Department, the FBI, and other Biden administration bodies to curtail their communication with social media platforms regarding content moderation that could infringe upon First Amendment rights.
Wray confirmed his awareness of the ruling, stating that he had reviewed it with the FBI's legal counsel and issued guidance on compliance. However, he declined further comment, citing ongoing litigation. Johnson pressed further, arguing that the ruling's findings should be of paramount concern to Wray. He accused the FBI and other involved parties of effectively silencing conservative voices on key issues, potentially influencing the 2020 election outcome.
FBI Director Christopher Wray arrives during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Johnson specifically cited topics like the Hunter Biden laptop story, the COVID-19 lab leak theory, the effectiveness of masks and lockdowns, election integrity, and even parody of the president as examples of content allegedly suppressed by the FBI. He challenged Wray to define "disinformation," a term used to justify the content removal.
Wray responded that the FBI's focus is on "malign foreign disinformation" from hostile actors attempting to manipulate social media. Johnson countered this, citing testimony from Elvis Chan, an FBI official involved in the case, who claimed a 50% success rate in removing alleged election disinformation, including content from American citizens. Johnson insisted this contradicted Wray's claim that the focus was solely on foreign actors.
FBI Director Christopher Wray is sworn in during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Wray denied that the FBI moderates content or pressures social media companies to censor information. He found the allegation that the FBI suppressed discussion of the lab leak theory “absurd,” citing the FBI’s own assessment of the theory as a likely explanation for the pandemic's origin. Johnson, however, maintained that evidence presented in court showed FBI agents were involved in removing such discussions online.
Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, speaks during a hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. FBI Director Wray is testifying before the committee amid calls by some conservatives for his ouster. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan echoed Johnson's concerns, highlighting the court's ruling that the government suppressed free speech. Jordan specifically mentioned the court's criticism of the FBI's handling of the Hunter Biden laptop story, alleging the bureau misled the public by not acknowledging the story's validity while possessing the laptop since 2019.
