Hawley demands release of Disinformation Governance Board documents

WASHINGTON — Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) led a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting the immediate release of all documents related to the agency’s recently-shelved Disinformation Governance Board. U.S. Senators and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee members Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) also joined the letter.

Under federal law (5 U.S.C. § 2954), the Department is required provide information and documents to the Homeland Security Committee when five members request it.

“We write to request immediate access to all records and communications related to the Department of Homeland Security’s new Disinformation Governance Board. You promised under oath to make these records available, but to date, our offices still have not received any further information,” the Senators wrote.

They continued, “we were pleased to read reports that you have decided to shut down the board in response to the concerns we raised. But it is important that this mistake is not repeated. We are therefore demanding transparency into the Department’s decision-making process so that we can learn why the Department ever thought creating a disinformation board would be a good idea.”

Earlier this month, Senator Hawley introduced the Dissolving the Disinformation Governance Board Act which would have immediately dissolved the Disinformation Governance Board and would prohibit DHS from ever replicating its attempt to monitor or censor Americans’ speech.

Senator Hawley also grilled Secretary Mayorkas about the Board and his selection of Nina Jankowicz to lead it, slammed the Secretary’s failure to provide clear answers, and called for the Secretary’s resignation.

Read the full letter here.