The U.S. government has grown increasingly hostile towards Americans who speak the truth. But now they have crossed a major line in this recent attack.
And the U.S. State Dept has helped place American journalists on a Ukraine “hit-list.”
Republicans in Congress have launched an investigation into whether the U.S. State Department played a role in a Ukrainian NGO’s publication of an “Enemies list” that includes prominent GOP lawmakers, activists, and certain conservative news outlets.
The investigation follows concerns raised by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday.
The contentious list was published by Anatoly Bondarenko’s Data Journalism Agency (TEXTY) and is part of a study titled, “Rollercoaster: From Trumpists to Communists. The forces in the U.S. impeding aid to Ukraine and how they do it.”
The list names 338 individuals and 76 organizations, including The Daily Wire hosts Ben Shapiro, Jordan Peterson, Michael Knowles, Matt Walsh, and Brett Cooper.
Vance and Gaetz, who are also listed in the study, criticized it as “largely an excuse to smear a large group of Americans who have been skeptical of aid to Ukraine.”
They accused the study of being part of a “coordinated media strategy” resembling a U.S.-targeting influence operation.
The lawmakers expressed concerns that U.S. taxpayer dollars might be funding these direct attacks on American citizens based on their political views.
“All Americans can agree that our tax dollars should not be supporting direct attacks on U.S. persons based upon reasonable political disagreement,” the letter from Vance and Gaetz states.
They requested various records from the State Department by June 28 to assess potential violations of U.S. law.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), who is running for a Senate seat, drew attention to the issue last week with a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), warning about the “Enemies list” compiled by TEXTY. Banks, who also appears on the list, stated that his office would reach out to others included in the database.
Michael Knowles later shared a letter from Banks, thanking him for “informing me that a U.S. gov’t-affiliated Ukrainian NGO has put me on a hit list.”
Thank you to @RepJimBanks for informing me that a U.S. gov't-affiliated Ukrainian NGO has put me on a hit list. I hope that Congress will heed your advice and stop funding groups that target and endanger American citizens. pic.twitter.com/donzUzS4P6
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) June 11, 2024
Knowles added, “I hope that Congress will heed your advice and stop funding groups that target and endanger American citizens.”
In his letter to Knowles and Shapiro, Banks announced that he had contacted Republican leaders on the House Appropriations Committee, urging them to prevent the State Department and USAID from partnering with any foreign entities that harass Americans.
In a press release on Wednesday, Banks revealed that House Republicans successfully passed a provision to prohibit funding for TEXTY during the full House Appropriations Committee markup of the Fiscal Year 2025 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill.
“It’s shameful for our agencies to be using Hoosiers’ tax dollars to collaborate with foreign groups that attempt to intimidate U.S. citizens and lawmakers,” Banks said. “I’d like to thank the Republicans on the Appropriations Committee for defunding any such work with TEXTY.”
The controversy surrounding the list has intensified the debate over U.S. support for Ukraine, especially amid accusations that the Biden administration has not done enough to ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly.
The investigation by Vance and Gaetz underscores the broader concerns within the GOP about government overreach and the potential misuse of federal funds for partisan purposes.
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