A CfA Ethics Complaint, Facebook’s Border Militias, an Unpublished Jan. 6th Report, and USDA Staffing Woes
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** CfA's January 20, 2023 Newsletter
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With your support, Campaign for Accountability is working to expose corruption and hold the powerful accountable.
** This Week's Updates:
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CfA Urges HSGAC to Investigate Alleged Pay-to-Play Scheme in Trump Administration's Supreme Court Selection Process
Last week, CfA filed a complaint ([link removed]) with the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (HSGAC) regarding a potentially illegal financial arrangement between Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway and legal activist Leonard Leo. CfA is urging the committee to investigate whether Conway violated federal ethics laws by giving Leo's list of Supreme Court picks special consideration in exchange for his assistance in a multi-million dollar deal to sell her consulting firm. The story was covered by Politico ([link removed]) this morning, and you can read the press release here ([link removed]) .
CfA Executive Director Michelle Kuppersmith said, “Americans have the right to know whether the most extreme Supreme Court in decades exists because a White House staffer sought personal financial gain. With the release of these financial records, a thorough investigation is needed to understand the situation and make it clear that evidence of corruption cannot be ignored.”
TTP Report: Border Militias Thrive on Facebook
Yesterday, CfA’s Tech Transparency Project (TTP) released a report ([link removed]) on Meta’s failure to crack down on civilian border militias, which are using Facebook to organize real-world “operations” targeting migrants. TTP’s researchers identified several large, active Facebook pages for militias that were seeking armed volunteers – an open violation of Meta’s policies ([link removed]) against militarized social groups. Some militias shared videos of their members interacting with and questioning migrants at the border, while others invoked QAnon-adjacent conspiracy theories which linked cartels and government officials to a wider human trafficking network.
TTP has repeatedly ([link removed]) called ([link removed]) out ([link removed]) Meta for allowing militias to build capacity using its platforms, and this latest report demonstrates that the company is still unable to take action against extremism (or unwilling to make the right investments in content moderation). The story was covered by Yahoo News ([link removed]) , and comes on the heels of a complaint ([link removed]) made by Senators Markey, Warren, and Booker about vigilante groups at the border.
In a response to a reporter asking about Facebook's role in militia activity, Sen. Markey said, “Vigilante groups are using the platform as their soapbox to amplify white supremacist content and endanger the lives of migrants. Self-regulation has failed. Congress has an obligation to step in to stop Big Tech from putting profits over people and allowing social media sites to function as hotbeds of vile, dangerous content.”
TTP Research Cited in Unpublished Jan. 6th Report
On Tuesday, the Washington Post obtained unpublished research ([link removed]) on the connections between social media and the January 6th attack on the Capitol, which the House select committee declined to make a part of their final report. By analyzing documents and interviewing former tech employees, the committee’s researchers found that social media companies were not only aware of growing domestic extremism on their platforms, but delayed action at critical junctures during the attack itself.
The unpublished report used TTP’s research ([link removed]) to argue that Meta had aided in the growth of anti-government militias by allowing them to run ads and reach more users through algorithmic recommendations. Though this information was not part of the official report, it still draws attention to Meta’s negligence in the face of multiple acts of violence linked to groups on its platforms.
USDA Relocation Still Impacting Agency, Staff
In 2019, the Trump Administration moved two of the USDA’s research agencies from Washington, D.C. to Kansas City. That transition led to massive staff turnover and a loss of institutional knowledge, which is reflected in a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report ([link removed]) that demonstrates how the relocated agencies experienced sharp drops in productivity after the move and became much less diverse. At the time, former USDA chief economist Joseph Glauber characterized the relocation as “a very cynical and calculated move” designed to push staff out. At the very least, GAO’s suggestions could help delay future bad-faith relocations and force USDA leadership to justify their decisions.
** What We're Reading:
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* Facebook approved ads promoting violence in wake of Brazil riots, report says ([link removed] )
A new report from Global Witness demonstrates that Facebook’s ad approval process is still completely broken. Even after Meta designated Brazil as a “temporary high-risk location,” ads calling for political violence were still greenlit for circulation.
* Watch: Gutting House Ethics Office Will Weaken an Already Weak System Says Former Director ([link removed])
** Follow Our Work:
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We thank you for your continued support. Without people like you, our work would not be possible.
Here is how you can stay involved and help us accomplish our mission:
1. Follow CfA on Twitter ([link removed]) .
2. Follow the Tech Transparency Project on Twitter ([link removed]) .
3. Tell your friends and colleagues ([link removed]) about CfA.
4. Send us a tip ([link removed]) .
5. Make a tax-deductible donation ([link removed]) .
Be on the lookout for more updates about our work in the upcoming weeks. Thanks again for signing up to be a part of CfA!
Sincerely,
Michelle Kuppersmith
Executive Director, Campaign for Accountability
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