Twitter blocked attempts to share a copy of the New York Post’s story regarding Hunter Biden’s contentious business affairs that was posted to the official website of House Judiciary Republicans.
Users reported they were unable to share the link from the lawmakers’ website, as Twitter reported it as “potentially harmful.” When users try to click on the link, Twitter flagged the material with a warning label, saying it could be “spammy” or “unsafe.”
The House Judiciary Republicans’ account later tweeted that they put another copy of the story on the committee’s ranking member Rep. Jim Jordan’s website, which seemed to do the trick.
“Twitter censored our last link! So, we put the article on @Jim_Jordan‘s website. Nice try, @jack. But, we won’t stop. Click, share, and RT!” the committee’s account tweeted.
Twitter has blocked users from tweeting the link to the @nypost‘s story on Hunter Biden.
So we put it on our website for you to read and share.
Click, share, and RT! https://t.co/tZwybnoW0e
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) October 14, 2020
Reports of Twitter censoring the link to share a copy of the story that alleged Biden set up a meeting with a senior official at Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings and his father, Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden, came to light late Wednesday.
When users reported attempts to share a link to the story, Twitter sent the same error message it reportedly placed on the House Judiciary Republicans’ website link that contained the story.
Jordan encouraged users to read the story at his own website adding criticism that Twitter had censored members of Congress but not leaders of Iran and China.
Tech giants of Silicon Valley have long been the subject of ire for conservatives who say social media companies are more likely to censor or issue warning labels to Republicans and right-leaning content than left.
Twitter censors @JudiciaryGOP. But not the Ayatollah or the Chinese Communist Party?
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) October 15, 2020
In response to critics, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said on Wednesday that the action was not effectively communicated as to why they blocked the story from being circulated.
“Our communication around our actions on the @nypost article was not great. And blocking URL sharing via tweet or DM with zero context as to why we’re blocking: unacceptable,” Dorsey tweeted.
Our communication around our actions on the @nypost article was not great. And blocking URL sharing via tweet or DM with zero context as to why we’re blocking: unacceptable. https://t.co/v55vDVVlgt
— jack (@jack) October 14, 2020
A number of Republican lawmakers attacked the social media giant, accusing them of trying to hide material that may hurt the reputation of Joe Biden.
Big Tech is censoring @JudiciaryGOP all because their government link contains information about a Democratic presidential candidate.
This is election interference.https://t.co/fpcyaxSRJj
— Rep. Mark Walker (@RepMarkWalker) October 15, 2020
Twitter isn’t even hiding their bias anymore. This is an attack against conservatives. https://t.co/FuxLLSzBAo
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) October 15, 2020
Twitter is now blocking access to the @JudiciaryGOP‘s .gov website.
The DOJ must open an investigation into these harmful actions to censor free speech. https://t.co/SeUUFHTHnt
— Congressman Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) October 15, 2020
The New York Post story accuses Hunter Biden of mediating communications between his father, then the vice president, and Vadym Pozharskyi, a top official from the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma, in which the younger Biden served on the board of directors.
“Dear Hunter, thank you for inviting me to DC and giving an opportunity to meet your father and spent [sic] some time together. It’s realty [sic] an honor and pleasure,” the email from Pozharskyi dated April 17, 2015, reads, but there were no additional details about what the “meet” might entail.
The story appears to contradict previous claims by Joe Biden, who said he never spoke with any of his relatives about their private business affairs.
The alleged meeting came to light in an email from Pozharskyi to Hunter Biden, which was obtained by the Post. The email was reportedly discovered on a computer, which is believed to have belonged to Hunter Biden, and was left at a repair shop in Delaware.
Biden’s campaign categorically denied the meeting took place.
“Investigations by the press, during impeachment, and even by two Republican-led Senate committees whose work was decried as ‘not legitimate’ and political by a GOP colleague have all reached the same conclusion: that Joe Biden carried out official U.S. policy toward Ukraine and engaged in no wrongdoing. Trump Administration officials have attested to these facts under oath,” Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates told Politico.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the House Judiciary Republicans for comment.
