State Department cash to train African journalists on 'fact-checking' sparks GOP criticism

EXCLUSIVE — Republican lawmakers are accusing the State Department of wasting taxpayer dollars over a newly released program to train journalists in Africa on “fact-checking” and fighting so-called disinformation and misinformation.

The Biden administration plans to award one eligible organization an estimated $250,000 to lead the initiative, which is run through the Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs, according to funding documents. The grant announcement, which was quietly made on Friday, comes as the broader agency faces a flurry of lawsuits and congressional investigations for similar programs the GOP says are promoting censorship of conservative voices online.