FBI 'reviewing' congressional requests for investigations into Parler, Facebook, Twitter roles in Capitol riot
Steube: Twitter, Facebook were also used to organize Capitol riot
House Oversight Committee member calls for a broader investigation into Capitol Hill violence on ‘Your World’
The FBI is “reviewing” congressional requests for investigations into the “role” Parler, Facebook and Twitter played in the Capitol riot earlier this month, Fox News has learned.
House Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., last week requested that the FBI investigate Parler’s “role” as a “potential facilitator” of planning or inciting the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT GOP SAYS ANY FBI INVESTIGATION INTO PARLER’S ‘ROLE’ IN CAPITOL RIOTS ‘SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE’ FACEBOOK, TWITTER
On Monday, Republicans on the committee demanded that any potential FBI investigation into Parler’s involvement “should include” Facebook and Twitter as well, saying the three social media companies “seem to all share blame in allowing their platforms to be used to plan for the January 6 riot.”
The FBI on Tuesday told Fox News that they are reviewing the requests.
“We have no comment on the specifics of the investigation, but we are reviewing these requests from members of Congress,” the FBI told Fox News.
Maloney also asked the FBI last week to review whether Parler is “a potential conduit for foreign governments who may be financing civil unrest in the United States.”
But committee Ranking Member James Comer, R-Ky., and Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., slammed Maloney, saying her request, singling out just Parler “known for its conservative users” was “blatantly and overtly partisan.”
Comer and Steube said Maloney’s claim that Parler was a “potential facilitator” of planning for the Capitol chaos “completely omits the fact that other social media platforms were also facilitators of the January 6 riot.”
Comer and Steube went on to call Maloney’s request for an FBI investigation into Parler “a transparently political ploy taking advantage of the tragedy that occurred on January 6 to shut down speech Democrats dislike.”
“Perhaps more disturbing is a Silicon Valley willing to oblige these impulses,” they wrote. “We request you amend your request for an FBI investigation to include Facebook and Twitter and the roles those companies played to contribute to the January 6 riot.”
PARLER ‘WELCOMES’ FBI INVESTIGATION INTO COMPANY’S ‘ROLE’ IN JANUARY 6 CAPITOL RIOT
Neither Facebook nor Twitter responded to Fox News’ request for comment regarding a potential FBI investigation into the platforms.
But Parler COO Jeffrey Wernick said the company “welcomes” a “robust examination of our policies and actions” by the bureau.
“Like other social-media platforms, we have been cooperating and will continue to cooperate with law-enforcement efforts to identify and prosecute those individuals responsible for organizing and carrying out the shameless Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
“Parler welcomes Rep. Maloney’s call to have the Federal Bureau of Investigation conduct a robust examination of our policies and actions,” Wernick said.
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