EXCLUSIVE — A left-wing researcher who chaired a since-dissolved Department of Homeland Security “misinformation” panel accused of facilitating censorship directly advised social media companies on content moderation policies, Kate Starbird testified to Congress behind closed doors.

Starbird, a professor leading the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public to investigate “disinformation” and “misinformation,” has faced heightened scrutiny from House Republicans for her roles with the Election Integrity Partnership, which worked to suppress speech before the 2020 election, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s defunct Misinformation and Disinformation Subcommittee. But Starbird had an even more significant open line than previously known with Big Tech — which apparently sought her guidance on approaching how to engage in content moderation.