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Records Reveal Barack Obama Was at Emergency
Scene of Family Chef Drowning
We’re learning much more about the tragic death at Obama’s home.
We received 40
pages of records from the Massachusetts State Police that
indicate the presence of Barack Obama for a witness interview in the death
investigation of the Obamas’ personal chef Tafari Campbell.
The records, which are heavily redacted, indicate Barack Obama arrived at
the emergency response scene via motorcade. A short time later, a cold, wet
woman, who was a witness, arrived. The next morning, the eyewitness was
interviewed in the Obama residence, again with Barack Obama present.
It is concerning that we had to push for several months to find out that
Barack Obama was personally involved in the death investigation of his
personal chef Tafari Campbell.
The records also detail the existence of a Secret Service video of Campbell
and his paddleboarding companion entering the water, and the Secret Service
emergency response in the immediate aftermath of the drowning. The State
Police records show they concluded “no foul play” in Campbell’s
“accidental” death.
We received the documents in response to a July 25, 2003, Massachusetts
Public Records Law request for all records relating to the death of
Campbell.
The documents show Campbell’s family told police that he had taken
swimming lessons in 2019 but described his ability as “not a great
swimmer.” The drowning occurred in Edgartown Great Pond, which
Massachusetts Environmental Police estimated “to be approximately seven
to eight feet deep.”
The records also show a female eyewitness, an Obama employee whose name is
redacted, told state police that she saw Campbell “fall off his
paddleboard, began splashing and became extremely panicked, yelling for
help and subsequently went underwater very quickly.” By the time she
reached his paddleboard, the witness said Campbell had “disappeared into
the extremely murky” water.
The records include a July 24, 2023, homicide/death
report written by Mass. State Trooper Dustin Shaw that lists the
details of the investigation into Campbell’s death. In the narrative
portion Shaw writes:
On Sunday, July 23, 2023, at approximately 7:58 PM, [he] … was
notified by the Dukes County Regional Emergency Communications Center of a
possible drowning incident that originated from a 911 call at [redacted] in
the Town of Edgartown, on Martha’s Vineyard, at 7:46 PM. The 911 caller
was identified as [redacted], who identified himself as a United States
Secret Service Special Agent. I am aware that [redacted] in Edgartown is a
residence owned by [redacted]. I was informed that two (2) people on
paddleboards had entered the water at Edgartown Great Pond, from the shore
of [redacted], and one person was unaccounted for after being witnessed in
distress going under the water and never resurfacing.
***
I located EFD [Edgartown Fire Dept.] Chief Schaeffer, and he informed me
that two (2) paddleboarders launched two (2) separate paddleboards from the
shoreline at [redacted] in Edgartown. Tafari CAMPBELL (DOB [redacted]) was
identified as the missing paddleboarder and [redacted] (DOB [redacted]) was
identified as the surviving paddleboarder. I was informed that CAMPBELL is
the personal Chef of [redacted] and his family, and [redacted] is a staff
member of [redacted], thus the reason they were both at the [redacted]
residence prior to the incident.
***
EFD [Edgartown Fire Dept.] Chief Schaeffer went on to explain that
CAMPBELL and [redacted] were paddleboarding together when [redacted]
observed CAMPBELL on the board, in the standing position and suddenly lose
his balance and enter the water, and struggle to stay above water. Chief
Schaeffer informed me that [redacted] observed CAMPBELL go under the water,
and never resurface. [Redacted] reportedly subsequently paddled back to
shore to [redacted] and alerted a member of the U.S. Secret Service at a
nearby security post. I was informed that USSS Special Agent [redacted]
called 911 and reported the incident to the Dukes County Sheriff's
Department Regional Communications Center. Simultaneously, U.S. Secret
Service Rescue Swimmers immediately deployed from the shore at [redacted]
and began searching the immediate area and underwater for CAMPBELL,
subsequently not locating him.
***
Campbell was … reported to be wearing a black tee-shirt, black shorts,
and a black baseball cap at the time he entered the water…. I was
informed that both CAMPBELL and [redacted] paddleboards had been recovered
in separate locations along the shorelines on Turkeyland Cove,
approximately several hundred yards from one another.
***
At approximately 8:40PM [redacted]’s motorcade arrived at the ICP
[incident command post] and I was introduced to [redacted]. I … along
with EFD [Edgartown Fire Dept.] Chief Schaeffer briefed [redacted] on the
situation thus far, as well as the search and rescue efforts currently
underway. A short time later, [redacted] arrived at the ICP and I was
introduced to her. I observed that [redacted] was visibly emotional and was
shaking from being cold and wet…. In a preliminary conversation I had
with [redacted] and [redacted] [she] informed me that when she initially
observed CAMPBELL fall off his paddleboard, began splashing and became
extremely panicked, yelling for help and subsequently went underwater very
quickly. [Redacted] stated that she immediately discarded her paddleboard
and swam over to CAMPBELL as fast as she could in [an] attempt to rescue
him. [Redacted] explained that by the time she reached CAMPBELL’S
paddleboard, she was “too late,” and he had disappeared into the murky,
very low visibility water. [Redacted] stated that she then utilized
CAMPBELL’S paddleboard and returned to the shore at [redacted] to alert
the Secret Service and activate emergency help, as neither she nor CAMPBELL
had cellular phones with them at the time of the incident. [Redacted]
stated that she left CAMPBELL’S paddleboard on the shore and ran to the
nearest U.S. Secret Service security post and reported the incident to the
first USSS Special Agent she saw (Special Agent [redacted]).
[Redacted] informed me that he and
[redacted], [redacted] were not present at their residence ([redacted]
Edgartown) at the time of the incident and had been out for dinner,
therefore, CAMPBELL would not have been working for the evening. [Redacted]
thanked us for our efforts and departed the ICP a short time
later.
***
At approximately 7:55 AM, we arrived at [redacted] accompanied by SAIC
[special agent in charge] Murray and SAIC Murphy. Upon arrival at the
residence, we were introduced to [reacted] invited us into his residence,
and we were directed into the office of [redacted], which was to be
utilized to conduct the interview.
***
[Redacted] explained that on Sunday, July 23, 2023, she began her day at
approximately 8:00AM helping CAMPBELL in the kitchen at [redacted] in
Edgartown. Throughout the day, and into lunch time, [redacted] said it was
a quiet day, and she was helping CAMPBELL design his Instagram page.
***
[Redacted] explained that approximately 6:10 PM, on July 23. 2023, she
asked CAMPBELL if he wanted to go paddleboarding in Edgartown Great Pond,
to which he agreed…. CAMPBELL walked from the residence to the shoreline
of Edgartown Great Pond and obtained two paddleboards and two paddles from
the [redacted] property.
[Redacted] explained to me that CAMPBELL was
an inexperienced swimmer, and that CAMPBELL had been attempting to teach
himself to swim at the pool at the residence over the years. [Redacted]
also stated that CAMPBELL had told her in the past that he couldn’t
swim.
[Redacted] explained that when she and
CAMPBELL began paddleboarding, they both remained on their knees while they
paddled in Edgartown Great Pond. [Redacted] continued to say that at one
point, she stood up on the paddleboard, and then saw CAMPBELL attempting to
stand up on his board shortly thereafter. [Redacted] stated that after
approximately 30 seconds of standing, she observed CAMPBELL lose his
balance on the board and saw him fall into the water. [Redacted] stated
that she yelled to CAMPBELL to grab onto the board in front of him,
however, she observed he quickly begin to panic while yelling for help.
[Redacted] stated that she left her board and attempted to swim to CAMPBELL
to help him, however, she said by the time she reached CAMPBELLS board it
was ‘too late’, and he went under the water…. [Redacted] stated that
neither she, nor CAMPBELL consumed any alcohol or drugs prior to
paddleboarding.
***
At approximately 8:32 AM [redacted] agreed to again board a fire boat to
assist with the recovery effort in [an] attempt to provide a more precise
location as to where she last saw CAMPBELL in the water, now that it was
daylight.
***
[Redacted] directed the fire boat to a location that she provided, to
the best of her recollection as where she saw CAMPBELL go underwater. This
location was marked with a buoy.
***
Upon our arrival back at the ICP [incident command post], we were
informed that the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP) had arrived on
scene and deployed Side Scan Sonar equipment to the area [redacted]
identified and were searching that area, which was approximately 100-200
yards from the shore at [redacted]
***
At approximately 9:45 AM, I was informed that an area of interest had
been identified by the MEP Side Scan Sonar, directly in the vicinity of
where [redacted] identified last observing CAMPBELL.
At approximately 9:58 AM, we arrived on
location as outlined by MEP [Massachusetts Environmental Police]. MSP
[Mass. State Police] dive team members deployed into the water.
At approximately 10:00 AM, within minutes of
entering the water, MSP divers recovered the body of a black male, fully
submerged in the water … Divers estimated the water depth to be
approximately seven to eight feet deep. I observed the body of a black male
removed from the water and placed onto the deck of the boat…. I observed
the male to be wearing a black t-shirt, black workout style shorts, and an
Apple Watch on his left wrist, and a wedding band style ring on his left
ring finger.
***
I met with CAMPBELL’S [redacted] and other family members and
representatives on the CG [Coast Guard] dock in Menemsha. [Redacted]
explained that CAMPBELL had taken swimming lessons in 2019 that consisted
of one lesson a week for six weeks and described his swimming ability as
“not a great swimmer.”
***
On Friday, August 18, 2023, I (Tpr. Dustin Shaw) was notified that the
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) determined that Tafari J.
CAMPBELL’S cause of death was a result of a drowning (submersion in a
body of water), and the manner of death is accidental, as determined by
OCME Dr. Anand Shah.
***
On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at approximately 4:45 PM, I traveled to
[redacted] in Edgartown and met with U.S. Secret Service SAIC Ben Murray
for the purposes of viewing Secret Service surveillance footage of
[redacted], Edgartown, from Sunday, July 23, 2023. My attention was drawn
to a specific section of surveillance camera footage, beginning at
approximately 6:54 PM on Sunday, July 23, 2023.
***
The following is a summary of my observations of the video footage
provided to me from this specific vantage point and is not intended to be
an exact depiction of the overall entirety of the surveillance footage from
[redacted] On Sunday, July 23, 2023, at approximately:
- 6:54 PM; two (2) individuals
identified as CAMPBELL and [redacted] are observed walking on the boardwalk
from the area of the residence, toward the shoreline of Edgartown Great
Pond. Both CAMPBELL’S and [redacted] appearance and clothing are
consistent with prior descriptions. Once near the shoreline, it appears
that CAMPBELL and [redacted] obtain paddleboards and paddles from a small
alcove near the shoreline, and subsequently enter the
water.
- 7:40 PM; Secret Service Agent
[redacted] (Rescue Swimmer) is observed running from his assigned post
towards the shoreline of Edgartown Great Pond, utilizing his handheld
radio.
- 7:42 PM; Agent [redacted]
observed running from the shoreline of Edgartown Great Pond, towards the
area of the Command Post.
- 7:43 PM; Agent [redacted]
observed running back to shoreline of Edgartown Great
Pond.
- 7:50 PM; USSS boat
launches
- 7:57 PM; USSS vehicle/first
responder vehicle arrives to the area of the shoreline of Edgartown Great
Pond.
- 7:58 PM; First Edgartown Police
vehicle arrives to the area of the shoreline.
- 7:59 PM; Second Edgartown Police
vehicle arrives to the area of the shoreline.
A request has been made to obtain a copy of the above-described video
and is pending its release as of the
time of this report.
***
[I]t is my investigative opinion that the death of Tafari J. CAMPBELL is
a result of an accidental drowning in Edgartown Great Pond, and is not
criminal in nature, and foul play is not suspected. I respectfully request
this case be classified as closed, pending any future information that
would warrant it being re-opened.
The homicide/death report lists as seized
evidence under “Property #1” an “Under Armour Baseball Hat
(Black)” and in the description notes: “West Tisbury Firefighter
Stephen Serusa recovers a black, Under Armour baseball hat in Edgartown
Great Pond, floating in the marsh area of Turkeyland Cove … during search
for Tafari CAMPBELL. Hat matches the description of CAMPBELLS hat he was
last seen wearing. Hat later confirmed by witnesses to be CAMPBELLS.”
The report also notes that Property #2 is “1 USB flash drive containing
two audio files (original 911 call and follow up call).” It was collected
on August 9, 2023, and is described as “DCSO [Dukes County Sheriff's
Office] Original 911 Audio Recordings.”
Property #3 is a computer/telecom flash drive described as “CSSS [Crime
Scene Service] Victim/Scene Photo Disc #1-1,” including the comment
“One paper envelope containing Digital Video Disk (DVD-R-RW) Victim/Scene
Photos.”
Property #4 is a flash drive containing autopsy photos.
Property #5 is a U.S. Coast Guard Station Menemsha log dated July 24, 2023.
The comment section notes: “Tpr. Shaw retrieves US Coast Guard Station
Menemsha Log dated "24JUL23" (1 page/double sided). Log signed by USCG
Station Menemsha Command Staff.”
In a July 24 case
master report, Shaw writes:
- He
was notified at 7:58 p.m. on July 23 of “a possible drowning in Edgartown
Great Pond” by the Dukes County Regional Emergency Communications
Center.
- He
was “briefed on situation by EFD [Edgartown Fire Department] Chief Alex
Schaeffer” after Shaw arrived at the incident command post set up at
Edgartown Great Pond, Wilsons Landing at 8:15 p.m. The report notes,
“Chief Schaeffer identifies missing paddleboarder as Tafari CAMPBELL (DOB
[redacted]).”
- At
8:25 p.m., Shaw requested MSP Airwing assistance for a search of Edgartown
Great Pond.
- At
9:15 p.m., he boards a Secret Service boat, “along with USSS [Secret
Service] Rescue Swimmers” to assist in searching for Campbell in
Edgartown Great Pond.
- At
11:30 p.m., Shaw disembarked from the USSS boat and returned to his command
post, ended his duty that night and would return the following day at
5:00am.
- At
7:55 a.m. on July 24, Shaw, along with Lt. Cosgrove, Capt. Benson and Major
Farley of MSP arrived in Edgartown “for the interview of [redacted]
(witness/survivor).” The entry notes, “Also present at the interview
was USSS Special Agent Ben Murra [sic].”
- At
10:00 a.m. Shaw was on board a Tisbury Fire Department boat along with a
state police dive team, “at which time the body of a black male, matching
the description of CAMPBELL was recovered from the Edgartown Great Pond….
Body was transported to CP [command post] at Wilsons
Land[ing].”
- At 10:25 a.m. “US Secret
Service Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the [redacted] Protection
Detail, [redacted], views and positively identified the body recovered from
Edgartown Great Pond to be Tafari CAMPBELL (DOB
[redacted]).”
- At 11:21 a.m. “Chapman Funeral
Home arrives at Wilsons Landing CP and transports the body of CAMPBELL, at
the request of the OCME [Office of the Chief Medical Examiner], from CP to
US Coast Guard Station Menemsha. Tpr. Shaw, DLT Cosgrove, DCAPT Benson,
Major Farley and USSS SA [Special Agent] Murphy follow hearse to USCG [US
Coast Guard].”
- At
11:57 a.m. “The body of CAMPBELL arrives at U.S. Coast Guard Station
Menemsha.”
- At
1:57 p.m. Shaw goes to Coast Guard Station Menemsha to pick up its daily
log from July 24, 2023 re: 2023-102-251 (the state police case number for
Campbell’s death).
- The
final two entries indicate that at 4:45 p.m. Shaw arrives at a redacted
location in Edgartown “re: meeting with US Secret Service SAIC [Special
Agent in Charge] Ben Murray.” At 5:41pm they conclude their meeting and
Shaw departs.”
The State Police write in their cover
letter to Judicial Watch: “The Department conducted a diligent
search of its records and is unable to locate any body worn and cruiser
mounted video recordings. The Department is in the process of reviewing
responsive records and will supplement this response.
A July 24, 2023, administrative
log note lists the case as closed and includes the synopsis
“US Secret Service Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of the [redacted]
Protection Detail [redacted], views and positively identified the body
recovered from Edgartown Great Pond to be Tafari CAMPBELL (DOB
[redacted]).”
(In August 2023, we released records
it received from the Edgarton, MA, Police Department that show the Secret
Service reported Obama’s Personal Chef Tafari Campbell missing and that
the body was found using sonar. The records also detail that clothing was
found separate from the body and that he was not wearing a life vest.)
Judicial Watch Releases New Documentary on Government, Social Media
Censorship
This week we released a four-part documentary that details the coordinated
effort by the government and Big Tech to censor and suppress information on
topics such as Hunter Biden’s laptop, COVID-19, and election debates.
This series exposes how the censorship partnership between government and
Big Tech is a dire threat to our First Amendment and other freedoms. We
seek to hold the censors accountable – working with elected officials,
journalists, and other leaders to protect free speech.
The documentary premiered last week, on our website,
X/Twitter,
Rumble,
YouTube
Facebook
and Instagram.
You can catch all episodes here.
(A trailer for the documentary is available here.)
The series features interviews with those who have taken leading roles in
exposing the collusion between government and social media to control what
Americans see and hear. Included in the lineup of experts is:
- Senator
Eric Schmitt (R-MO) who as attorney general of Missouri filed
a lawsuit in 2020 against President Biden and other
administration officials, alleging they were working with social media
platforms to censor information related to COVID-19 and other
topics.
- Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH),
who is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Jordan’s committee is
leading the House investigation into government-led censorship on social
media.
- Journalist Matt Taibbi, one of
the journalists who covered the release of the “Twitter Files,” which
exposed government involvement in Twitter and other Big Tech censorship of
Americans. Taibbi testified before Congress about what the “Twitter
Files” revealed about the partnership between government and social media
to censor information and opinions.
- Chris Nelson, senior
investigator at Judicial Watch, formerly a career counterintelligence
officer with the U.S. Government.
- And me as I led Judicial Watch
in filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits
and other litigation concerning government and Big Tech
censorship.
The premiere episode, The Hearing, looks at Taibbi’s experience
exposing the “Twitter Files:”
Today, American taxpayers are unwittingly financing the growth and power
of a censorship-industrial complex run by America’s scientific and
technological elite, which endangers our liberties and democracy.
What we found in the [Twitter] Files was a
sweeping effort to reverse that promise and use machine learning and other
tools to turn the internet into an instrument of censorship and social
control. Unfortunately, our own government appears to be playing a lead
role.
The Twitter Files, state attorneys general
lawsuits, and investigative reporters have revealed a large and growing
network of government agencies, academic institutions, and nongovernmental
organizations that are actively censoring American citizens, often without
their knowledge, on a range of issues.
Elon Musk took ownership of Twitter, now X, in October 2023. On December 2,
2023, the New York Post reported
Taibbi posted the first Twitter thread containing what became known as the
“Twitter Files.” This first installment contained documents related to
Twitter's internal discussions related to moderating content on the Hunter
Biden laptop story which the
Post
broke
shortly before the 2020 presidential election.
Nineteen installments of the “Twitter Files” would be released through
March 2023. These included internal communications related to the
suspension of former President Donald Trump from the platform, exchanges
between the FBI and Twitter's Trust and Safety Team regarding suppressing
election misinformation, and moderation of COVID-19 content.
The second episode, The Hunter Biden Problem, addresses the
pre-election censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story. From the
suppression of the initial and subsequent reporting on the laptop to the
promotion of the
letter signed by 51 intelligence officials calling the laptop
“Russian disinformation,” the episode details the coordinated effort to
suppress Americans’ access to stories exposing the contents of the laptop
while promoting stories denying the authenticity of the laptop. Congressman
Jordan responded to this coordination saying:
The guy who put the whole letter together, Mike Morrell, former acting
director of the CIA, said “we” did it because we wanted Joe Biden to
have something to use against President Trump in the final debate on
October 22nd, 2020. And we wanted that because we want Joe Biden
to win.
In The Censorship Industrial Complex, the third episode, Jordan,
Taibbi, and I warn of the partnership among government, traditional and
social media to control Americans’ access to information. Taibbi states:
Civil society organizations are supposed to watch the government. The
news media is supposed to watch both. The tech platforms are supposed to
have different interests from the government. But what we see in the center
in the censorship industrial complex is they’re all working together in
what you know and what they call the shared endeavor. And, so it’s a
consolidation of power.
I add this:
I think we just have to come to terms with the fact that the Big Tech
companies or social media companies are partisan leftist ideologues, and
they’ve been lying about the reasons they’ve been quote, “moderating
content.” They’ve been censoring content, not following a set of rules,
but following government dictates and their own ideological predilections
and political biases.
The series finale, COVID, Censorship and Consequences, examines the
organized censorship of debate about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic,
mask mandates, and Dr. Anthony Fauci’s efforts to control the narrative
surrounding the pandemic. Senator Eric Schmitt notes:
[I]n the lead up to the 2020 election, we saw this massive effort by the
federal government to work with big tech to suppress dissenting views. And
that’s an un-American thing to do. And so, we filed the lawsuit, which
was a landmark lawsuit. And what we uncovered in that lawsuit was a vast
censorship enterprise, broader and bigger than anybody could have ever
imagined.
This documentary series was directed by Joe Weasel of Full Story Films
LLC., and produced by me, Paul Orfanedes and Chris Farrell.
We are deeply involved in the investigation of censorship by government
entities and Big Tech.
In April 2023, we filed two FOIA lawsuits
against the DOJ and other federal agencies for communications between the
agencies and Facebook and Twitter regarding the government’s involvement
in content moderation and censorship on the social media platforms.
In June 2023, we sued
DHS for all records of communications tied to the Election Integrity
Partnership. Based on representations from the EIP (see here
and here),
the federal government, social media companies, the EIP, the Center
for Internet Security (a non-profit organization funded
partly by DHS and the Defense Department) and numerous other
leftist groups communicated privately via the Jira
software platform developed by Atlassian.
In February 2023, we sued
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for records showing
cooperation between the Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency
(CISA) and social media platforms to censor and suppress free speech.
In January 2023 we sued
the DOJ for records of communications between the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) and social media sites regarding foreign influence in
elections, as well as the Hunter Biden laptop story.
In September 2022, we sued
the Secretary of State of the State of California for having YouTube censor
our election integrity video.
In May 2022, YouTube censored a Judicial Watch video about Biden corruption
and election integrity issues in the 2020 election. The video,
titled “Impeach? Biden Corruption Threatens National Security,” was
falsely determined to be “election misinformation” and removed by
YouTube, and our YouTube account was suspended for a week. Judicial Watch
continues to post its
video content on its Rumble channel (https://rumble.com/vz7aof-fitton-impeach-biden-corruption-threatens-national-security.html).
In July 2021, we uncovered
records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which
revealed that Facebook coordinated closely with the CDC to control the
COVID narrative and “misinformation” and that over $3.5 million in free
advertising given to the CDC by social media companies.
In May 2021, we revealed
documents showing that Iowa state officials pressured social media
companies Twitter and Facebook to censor posts about the 2020 election.
In April 2021, we published
documents revealing how California state officials pressured social media
companies (Twitter, Facebook, Google (YouTube)) to censor posts about the
2020 election.
Judicial Watch Sues Director of National Intelligence over Social Media
Censorship
The Biden administration will not give up in its efforts to control what we
write, say and think. It has weaponized the intelligence agencies against
the American people.
We filed a FOIA lawsuit against the U.S.
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) for
records and concerning censorship of social media users (Judicial
Watch, Inc. v. Office of the Director of National
Intelligence (No. 1:23-cv-02943)).
We sued after the Office of the ODNI failed to respond to a May 2023 FOIA
request for:
Records and communications of the National Counterterrorism Center …
regarding the Foreign Malign Influence Center, including:
- Organizational
chart;
- Position description of full-time
employees and contractors;
- Annual
budget;
- Communications with Twitter
@twitter.com [now known as X], Facebook @facebook.com, Meta @meta.com,
TikTok @tiktok.com, Reddit @reddit.com, YouTube @YouTube.com, Instagram
@instagram.com, concerning “foreign influence operations,”
“misinformation,” “disinformation;” and
- Policies, procedures, standard
operating procedures, and strategic plans 6. Working groups established
with governmental, nongovernmental organizations, or private
entities.
- Working groups established with
governmental, nongovernmental organizations, or private
entities.
In April 2022, the Department of Homeland Security announced a new Disinformation
Governance Board. The new agency quickly became a flashpoint of
controversy,
characterized by critics as a frontal assault on the First Amendment. In
August 2022, it was disbanded.
In September 2022, the Foreign
Malign Influence Center was established under the Office of
Director National Intelligence with essentially the same mission: “as the
primary U.S. Government organization for analyzing and integrating all
intelligence and other reporting possessed or acquired pertaining to
foreign malign influence, including election security.” The Center has
proposed a public-private
initiative, calling for “significant monetary and resource
investment by the government” for “enhancing information sharing with
private sector entities.”
The Biden administration apparently believes it could resurrect its
domestic thought police deep inside the heart of America’s spy agencies,
and no one would notice. Well, we noticed and will pursue the facts in
spite of the Director of National Intelligence’s illegal stonewalling.
Judicial Watch Sues CDC for Records about CDC Guidance on Male
Breastfeeding
Does the CDC have any credibility left when, with a straight face, it
purports to advise men on breastfeeding infants? Has our country sunk this
low?
We filed a FOIA lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) for records related to updated guidance from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on breastfeeding by transgender
biological males (Judicial
Watch v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(No. 1:23-cv-03001)).
We sued after the CDC, a component of Health and Human Services, failed to
respond to a July 6, 2023, FOIA request asking for:
1. All records reviewed, referenced, or relied upon in the drafting and
publishing of updated guidance pertaining to breastfeeding by transgender
individuals on the CDC’s web site. For purposes of clarification, this
guidance is published at https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-special-circumstances/maternal-or-infant-illnesses/breast-surgery.html
and https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/emergencies-infant-feeding/health-equity.html.
2. All records of communication between any
official or employee of the CDC and any other individual or entity
regarding the updated guidance described in part one of this
request.
The CDC posted
on its website advice to “transgender parents who have had breast
surgery” about breastfeeding or “chestfeeding” infants:
Some transgender parents who have had breast/top surgery may wish to
breastfeed, or chestfeed (a term used by some transgender and non-binary
parents), their infants. Healthcare providers working with these families
should be familiar with medical, emotional, and social aspects of gender
transitions to provide optimal family-centered care and meet the
nutritional needs of the infant.
In an
article dealing with “Health Equity Considerations” is a
subsection titled “Here are some things your emergency preparedness and
response team can do to help achieve health equity when working with
families who have young children.” The CDC advises:
Remember
that:
- If you
have questions about infant nutrition or medications before and while
breastfeeding, please consult with your healthcare
provider….
- Transgender and nonbinary-gendered
individuals may give birth and breastfeed or feed at the chest (chestfeed).
The gender identity or expression of transgender individuals is different
from their sex at birth. The gender identity of nonbinary-gendered
individuals does not fit neatly into either man or
woman.
- An
individual does not need to have given birth to breastfeed or
chestfeed.
- Some
families may have other preferred terminology for how they feed their
babies, such as nursing, chestfeeding, or
bodyfeeding.
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Roger
Marshall, M.D. (R-KS) Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and
Pensions in July 2023 sent a
letter to CDC Director Mandy Cohen, asking for information about
the CDC’s guidance for transgender women (biological men) who wish to
breastfeed:
We are writing to you with serious concern about the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidance for biological men who identify
as women (transgender individual) who wish to breastfeed. CDC’s Pledge to
the American People commits that the basis of all public health decisions
will be made on the highest quality scientific data that is derived openly
and objectively. This guidance, however, seems driven by political
considerations rather than science, and the Agency has provided no
explanation of the reasoning and data behind these recommendations.
The senators ask for “information regarding the scientific basis”
regarding its guidance, including:
Did the CDC use any peer-reviewed studies to inform its guidance on
transgender individuals breastfeeding? If so, please provide these studies
with your response. If not, why not?
What data did CDC rely on that compares the
nutritional benefits of biological women’s breast milk with the breast
milk produced by a transgender individual?
What data did CDC rely on to evaluate the
long-term effects or health risks to an infant from being breastfed by a
transgender individual who has received hormonal therapy to transition
genders?
Why does the CDC recommend that health care
providers help transgender individuals obtain a drug that is not approved
for use in the U.S.?
The Biden administration attacks the health and welfare of infants by
encouraging biological men to pretend to nurse them. This dangerous
transgender extremism is now the subject of a cover-up, as the CDC refuses
to turn over any records under FOIA to us about its “advice” to help
biological men attempt to “chestfeed” infants.
Judicial Watch Sues State Over Eligibility of Hungarians in Visa Waiver
Program
The vindictive nature of the Biden administration is on full display in its
treatment of Hungarian citizens because of the country’s conservative
prime minister.
We filed a FOIA lawsuit against the U.S. Department of State for
communications and records regarding the eligibility of citizens of Hungary
to participate in a visa waiver program (Judicial
Watch v. U.S. Department of State (No.
1:23-cv-02964)).
We sued after the Department of State failed to respond to an August 8,
2023, FOIA request sent to its Office of the Information Programs and
Services for:
All records related to the modifications to the eligibility of citizens
of Hungary to participate in the visa waiver program which went into effect
on August 1, 2023 (https://hu.usembassy.gov/visas/visa-waiver-program/).
This request includes, but is not limited to, all records reviewed,
referenced, or relied upon in making the determination to implement the
modifications, as well as all related records of communication between any
official or employee of the Department of State and any other individual or
entity.
On August 1, 2023, Reuters reported,
“The United States imposed restrictions for Hungarian passport holders
under its Visa Waiver Program on Tuesday … Relations between the two
governments have been burdened recently with Budapest's delay of a
parliament vote on Sweden’s NATO accession and curbs on LGBTQ rights by
Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s nationalist government.”
Citing “vulnerabilities” because Hungary granted citizenship to
“nearly one million people” over the nine-year period of 2011 to 2020,
the State Department announced on its website:
Today, we notified the Government of Hungary that the Electronic System
for Travel Authorization (ESTA) validity period for travel by Hungarian
passport holders is reduced from two years to one year. Additionally, the
validity of an ESTA for Hungarian passport holders will be limited to a
single use.
The Leftists running the Biden administration want to punish Hungary
because they hate Viktor Oban, Hungary’s conservative prime minister.
And, as they try to bully Hungary over immigration, the Biden
administration continues to allow millions of illegal aliens to come
unhindered into the U.S.
Until next week,
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