Twitter Files 7.0: FBI paid $3.4 million to Twitter for ‘workers time’ privileges and management over political data

On Monday (December 19), the seventh tranche of inner communication between Twitter staff was launched on the micro-blogging platform.

Dubbed the ‘Twitter Files 7.0’, it uncovered how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) paid a whopping $3.4 million to Twitter between October 2019 and February 2021 and coerced high Twitter executives into gutting the ‘Hunter Biden story‘ of the New York Post (NYP).

The story, shared by creator Michael Shellenberger, uncovered how the federal company was fast to discredit the revelations about Hunter Biden’s dealings as ‘Russian disinformation’, a transfer which impacted the results of the 2020 US Presidential elections.

1. TWITTER FILES: PART 7

The FBI & the Hunter Biden Laptop

How the FBI & intelligence group discredited factual details about Hunter Biden’s international enterprise dealings each after and *earlier than* The New York Post revealed the contents of his laptop computer on October 14, 2020

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

At the very onset, Michael Shellenberger mentioned, “In Twitter Files #7, we present evidence pointing to an organized effort by representatives of the intelligence community (IC), aimed at senior executives at news and social media companies, to discredit leaked information about Hunter Biden before and after it was published.”

It should be talked about within the final weeks of the 2020 US presidential elections, the New York Post printed an explosive story about Hunter Biden’s problematic emails with a Ukrainian fuel firm govt from Burisma.

In its report, the information outlet alleged that they’d accessed materials from a broken Macbook that was dropped at a service centre for restore. The buyer who introduced the laptop computer by no means collected or paid for the providers.

The store proprietor mentioned he repeatedly tried to contact the shopper. Though he couldn’t determine the proprietor as Hunter Biden, he mentioned the laptop computer had Beau Biden Foundation’s sticker.

The report had a number of paperwork and talked about a video that proves that Joe Biden met a high-profile businessman from Ukraine when he was Vice President of the United States. 

The story begins in December 2019 when a Delaware laptop retailer proprietor named John Paul (J.P.) Mac Isaac contacts the FBI a few laptop computer that Hunter Biden had left with him

On Dec 9, 2019, the FBI points a subpoena for, and takes, Hunter Biden’s laptop computer. https://t.co/TdaYhHMVRH pic.twitter.com/JxdkrkgAkI

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

Despite issuing a subpoena and taking possession of the laptop computer, the FBI didn’t get again to the restore store proprietor. As such, he submitted a duplicate of the info to Donald Trump’s legal professional, Rudy Giuliani, who handed it over to the New York Post.

“Hunter and Mesires had just learned from the New York Post that its story about the laptop would be published the next day,” Michael Shellenberger famous. Immediately, the FBI intervened and despatched a set of 10 paperwork to Yoel Roth (former Global Head of Trust & Safety).

So far, the ‘Twitter Files’ has uncovered how Roth justified the censorship of the notorious ‘Hunter Biden story’. He was additionally seen patting himself on the again for shortly censoring Donald Trump. 

7. At 9:22 pm ET (6:22 PT), FBI Special Agent Elvis Chan sends 10 paperwork to Twitter’s then-Head of Site Integrity, Yoel Roth, by means of Teleporter, a one-way communications channel from the FBI to Twitter. pic.twitter.com/7j59zfBuJQ

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

Author Michael Shellenberger famous how the New York Post story was censored inside hours of its publication on October 14, 2020. “…Preventing it from spreading and, more importantly, undermining its credibility in the minds of many Americans. Why is that? What, exactly, happened?” he continued.

9. And but, inside hours, Twitter and different social media corporations censor the NY Post article, stopping it from spreading and, extra importantly, undermining its credibility within the minds of many Americans.

Why is that? What, precisely, occurred?

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

Despite tens of tens of millions value of international dealings by Hunter Biden, the Federal Bureau of Investigation repeatedly pressured high Twitter govt Yoel Roth to categorise the explosive story as “Russian hack and leak” operation.’

It should be talked about that in August this 12 months, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg revealed how the FBI directed the social media large to censor the Hunter Biden story.

“The FBI basically came to us [and] was like, ‘Hey… you should be on high alert. We thought that there was a lot of Russian propaganda in the 2016 election. There’s about to be some kind of dump similar to that’,” Zuckerberg instructed Joe Rogan.

12. And but, throughout all of 2020, the FBI and different regulation enforcement companies repeatedly primed Yoel Roth to dismiss reviews of Hunter Biden’s laptop computer as a Russian “hack and leak” operation.

This is from a sworn declaration by Roth given in December 2020.https://t.co/IvTjyYw9iR pic.twitter.com/5iq2ATB3bW

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

Author Michael Shellenberger identified that the declare of ‘Russian disinformation’ within the Hunter Biden story was not primarily based on new intelligence reviews.

“Through our investigations, we did not see any similar competing intrusions to what had happened in 2016,” FBI agent Chan was seen admitting to the fictional claims in ‘Twitter Files 7.0’.

15. Indeed, Twitter executives *repeatedly* reported little or no Russian exercise.

E.g., on Sept 24, 2020, Twitter instructed FBI it had eliminated 345 “largely inactive” accounts “linked to previous coordinated Russian hacking attempts.” They “had little reach & low follower accounts.” pic.twitter.com/hy7hPahChS

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

Internal communication between high Twitter staff and the FBI confirmed a point of scepticism within the former about sweeping claims of foreign-controlled bots. In one case, Yoel Roth was seen turning down the request of the federal company with respect to the latter’s assertion of international affect in a pro-Trump tweet.

17. After FBI asks a few WaPo story on alleged international affect in a pro-Trump tweet, Twitter’s Roth says, “The article makes a lot of insinuations… but we saw no evidence that that was the case here (and in fact, a lot of strong evidence pointing in the other direction).” pic.twitter.com/jJjnczZnA5

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

The ‘Twitter Files 7.0’ additionally revealed how the highest Twitter weapons had been below a variety of stress from the FBI to censor tweets as per their whims and fancies.

“Time and again, FBI asks Twitter for evidence of foreign influence & Twitter responds that they aren’t finding anything worth reporting,” creator Michael Shellenberger had emphasised.

20. Time and once more, FBI asks Twitter for proof of international affect & Twitter responds that they aren’t discovering something value reporting.

“[W]e haven’t yet identified activity that we’d typically refer to you (or even flag as interesting in the foreign influence context).” pic.twitter.com/ghGNz4ZzXB

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

In a bid to lure high Twitter executives, one FBI agent Elvis Chan organized for his or her ‘temporary’ Top Secret Security Clearances. The creator famous, “…So that the FBI can share information about threats to the upcoming elections.”

22. Then, in July 2020, the FBI’s Elvis Chan arranges for non permanent Top Secret safety clearances for Twitter executives in order that the FBI can share details about threats to the upcoming elections. pic.twitter.com/YXCR2Guxz5

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

By 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was actively concerned in Twitter affairs a lot in order that they created their very own “private Slack channel and a crib sheet to onboard new FBI arrivals.”

Michael Shellenberger knowledgeable that Twitter Safety Head, Yoel Roth, participated in “tabletop exercise” on a possible “Hack-and-Dump” operation pertaining to the New York Post story on Hunter Biden.

“The goal was to shape how the media covered it — and how social media carried it,” he emphasised.

30. Efforts continued to affect Twitter’s Yoel Roth.

In Sept 2020, Roth participated in an Aspen Institute “tabletop exercise” on a possible “Hack-and-Dump” operation referring to Hunter Biden

The objective was to form how the media lined it — and the way social media carried it pic.twitter.com/lQSorONUSh

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

The ‘Twitter Files 7.0’ revealed that FBI agent Chan and Twitter govt Yoel Roth additionally arrange an ‘encrypted messaging network’ for communication. The inner chats uncovered that the duo agreed to create a digital struggle room for the FBI and the Office of National Intelligence.

Interestingly, the sixth tranche of Twitter Files additionally revealed 150 e mail exchanges between the FBI and Yoel Roth through the interval of January 2020 and November 2022.

32. By mid-Sept, 2020, Chan & Roth had arrange an encrypted messaging community so staff from FBI & Twitter might talk.

They additionally comply with create a “virtual war room” for “all the [Internet] industry plus FBI and ODNI” [Office of the Director of National Intelligence]. pic.twitter.com/Dhy8LotZHU

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

It should be famous that former Deputy General Counsel James Baker, who was fired by Elon Musk, had insisted that the Hunter Biden story was primarily based on ‘fake or hacked’ supplies and thus constituted a violation of Twitter coverage.

35. In response to Roth, Baker repeatedly insists that the Hunter Biden supplies had been both faked, hacked, or each, and a violation of Twitter coverage. Baker does so over e mail, and in a Google doc, on October 14 and 15. pic.twitter.com/MpQTUj6Esl

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

This was even if the unique New York Post article included the picture of the unique receipt signed by Hunter Biden, to not overlook the FBI subpoena that his laptop computer was within the possession of the federal company.

37. As for the FBI, it doubtless would have taken a number of *hours* for it to substantiate that the laptop computer had belonged to Hunter Biden. Indeed, it solely took a number of days for journalist @peterschweizer to show it. pic.twitter.com/eD8uk9lefn

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

Michael Shellenberger posted screenshots of the interior communication between Twitter staff, whereby they had been mulling censoring the Hunter Biden story. Interestingly, on the identical day, Jim Baker had organized for a telephonic assembly with the Office of the General Counsel of the FBI.

39. At 3:38 pm that very same day, October 14, Baker arranges a cellphone dialog with Matthew J. Perry within the Office of the General Counsel of the FBI pic.twitter.com/26ub4A4uKd

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

“The influence operation persuaded Twitter execs that the Hunter Biden laptop did *not* come from a whistleblower,” remarked Michael Shellenberger.

He additional added, “There is evidence that FBI agents have warned elected officials of foreign influence with the primary goal of leaking the information to the news media. This is a political dirty trick used to create the perception of impropriety.”

41. There is proof that FBI brokers have warned elected officers of international affect with the first objective of leaking the data to the information media. This is a political soiled trick used to create the notion of impropriety.

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

He additionally identified, “In the end, the FBI’s influence campaign aimed at executives at news media, Twitter, & other social media companies worked: they censored & discredited the Hunter Biden laptop story. By Dec. 2020, Baker and his colleagues even sent a note of thanks to the FBI for its work.”

The ‘Twitter Files 7.0’ additionally revealed how the Federal Bureau of Investigation paid a whopping $3,415,323 to Twitter Inc. for his or her ‘staff time’ between October 2019 and February 2021.

46. The FBI’s affect marketing campaign could have been helped by the truth that it was paying Twitter tens of millions of {dollars} for its workers time.

“I am happy to report we have collected $3,415,323 since October 2019!” reviews an affiliate of Jim Baker in early 2021. pic.twitter.com/SmNse97QxK

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

Once the FBI was in a position to achieve its foothold on Twitter, it held frequent conferences with the highest executives and directed them to provide increasingly more ’emergency disclosure requests (a type of warrantless search).’

47. And the stress from the FBI on social media platforms continues

In Aug 2022, Twitter execs ready for a gathering with the FBI, whose objective was “to convince us to produce on more FBI EDRs”

EDRs are an “emergency disclosure request,” a warrantless search. pic.twitter.com/sENBIi6zPg

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022

“Anyone who reads the Twitter Files, regardless of their political orientation, should share those concerns,” concluded Michael Shellenberger.

Anyone who reads the Twitter Files, no matter their political orientation, ought to share these considerations.

/END

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) December 19, 2022
Twitter Files 3.0 additionally revealed the affect of the FBI on Twitter staff

On December 9, the third tranche of confidential conversations between high Twitter executives was launched on the micro-blogging platform which additionally uncovered the affect of FBI on Twitter. 

The ‘Twitter Files 3.0’ revealed that the senior executives of Twitter Inc. had been in fixed contact with federal companies forward of the 2020 US Presidential elections.

It revealed how the Federal Bureau of Investigation routinely despatched tweets, posted by Republican candidates, to the moderation group for expunction.

Matt Taibbi knowledgeable that Twitter started imposing guidelines arbitrarily and utilizing pretexts to justify their actions. Following the US Capitol riots, the conferences between high Twitter staff and federal companies intensified.

Matt Taibbi unearthed how the mindset of high Twitter executives developed between late 2020 and early 2021. He knowledgeable {that a} channel titled ‘us2020_xfn_enforcement’ was created to debate the censorship of high-profile accounts (additionally referred to as Very Important Tweeters) within the context of US elections.

The ‘Twitter Files 3.0’ uncovered how the likes of Vijaya Gadde (former Head of Legal, Policy, and Trust at Twitter) and Yoel Roth (former Global Head of Trust & Safety) had been making choices primarily based on whims and fancies.

“The latter group were a high-speed Supreme Court of moderation, issuing content rulings on the fly, often in minutes and based on guesses, gut calls, even Google searches, even in cases involving the President,” journalist Matt Taibbi famous.

He additionally added that the duo was “clearly liaising with federal enforcement and intelligence agencies about moderation of election-related content”.