Former Twitter execs to testify before House Oversight about Hunter Biden laptop story

On Wednesday, House Republicans are set to hear testimony from former Twitter executives about what lawmakers say was the social media platform’s “role in suppressing the Biden laptop story” in the as part of their investigation of Hunter Biden and his family members and associates.

On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee will question former Twitter executives about the platform’s handling of New York Post reports in 2020 about alleged contents of a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden, in which the company social media has controversially blocked users from tweeting and sending direct messages about it.

In excerpts of prepared remarks released ahead of the hearing, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., committee chairman, will allege that “Big Tech autocrats are exercising their unchecked power to suppress Americans’ speech to promote their views. preferred policies. ”

Comer will also claim that Twitter’s handling of unverified articles shows that there has been a “coordinated campaign by social media companies, mainstream media and the intelligence community to suppress and delegitimize the existence of the computer. Hunter Biden’s laptop and its contents,” according to his prepared report. testimony.

The White House dismissed the committee hearing as a “bizarre political stunt” a day after the president delivered his second State of the Union address.

“This appears to be the latest effort by the most extreme MAGA members of the House Republican majority to question and challenge the outcome of the 2020 election,” White House spokesman Ian said. Sams, in a statement.

“This is not what the American people want their leaders to work on. As the President has said and focused on, the American people expect their leaders to work together in a bipartisan way on the issues. that affect their lives and families the most, not that they attack his family with long-debunked conspiracy theories,” he continued.

The decision by Twitter executives to limit the distribution of Post articles came a month before the November 2020 presidential election. Twitter backtracked months later, allowing users to share links to the articles.

Wednesday’s House Oversight Committee hearing comes as allies of the president and his son consider a legal defense fund to support Hunter Biden and others as they respond to Republican-led congressional investigations , reported NBC News last month.

Republicans allege Hunter Biden capitalized on his father’s political career and connections for profit amid their criticism of a series of financial dealings by Hunter Biden in Ukraine and China.

Hunter Biden bolstered his legal team in December amid an ongoing federal investigation and Republican plans to make it a key part of investigations as soon as they take control of the House in January.

Upon his appointment as the new chairman of the oversight committee, Comer accused the president of ‘influence peddling’ and quickly embarked on the investigation of Hunter Biden and other Biden family members and associates. .