By Steve Neavling
The Department of Homeland Security is pausing its controversial Disinformation Governance Board, and the leader of the group has resigned, after it became a target of disinformation, The New York Times reports.
The board, which launched three weeks ago, was tasked with combating disinformation at a time when lies and baseless conspiracy theories are fueling domestic violence.
But Republicans baselessly claimed that the board’s work would lead to censorship.
According to the group, the goal was to combat dangerous disinformation by international crime groups and foreign adversaries, not to police people’s speech.
“False attacks have become a significant distraction from the department’s vitally important work to combat disinformation that threatens the safety and security of the American people,” the department’s statement said.
In her resignation letter, the group’s leader, Nina Jankowicz, said it’s “deeply disappointing that mischaracterizations of the Board became a distraction from the Department’s vital work, and indeed, along with recent events globally and nationally, embodies why it is necessary.”
