Democrat Lawmaker Pushing Russia Collusion Theory Gets Owned by Twitter Files Journalist

Following last week’s revelatory testimony from Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger, two major journalists behind the Twitter Files expose, at a hearing of the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, a Twitter spat emerged between one of the Democrats present in that subcommittee when he tried to go after Mr. Taibbi. Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-NY), a subcommittee member who denied there was any government interference in lawful speech and whose absurd assertion was disproven by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), attempted to mount on social media a case for the defense of the government.

Mr. Goldman wrote “It is a complicated issue. But if you (and the GOP) won’t accept that 1) Russia interfered in the 2016 election through social media and 2) preventing that is a legitimate goal of the FBI, then you don’t belong in the nuanced convo on the balance between NATSEC and lawful speech.”

It is a complicated issue. But if you (and the GOP) won’t accept that 1) Russia interfered in the 2016 election through social media and 2) preventing that is a legitimate goal of the FBI, then you don’t belong in the nuanced convo on the balance between NATSEC and lawful speech. https://t.co/BfIZInqDgb

— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) March 11, 2023

This defense was mounted after Mr. Taibbi wrote on Twitter “I hoped at least one or two Democrats would engage on this complicated issue. Everyone would have benefited from a discussion about weighing speech rights versus “disinformation” in the digital age. Instead we got childish attacks, which just degraded the debate.”

No, I hoped at least one or two Democrats would engage on this complicated issue. Everyone would have benefited from a discussion about weighing speech rights versus “disinformation” in the digital age. Instead we got childish attacks, which just degraded the debate. https://t.co/2l3iivDbbB

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) March 11, 2023

Taibbi immediately responded to Representative Goldman’s charge that “You’re an attorney who claimed an indictment [on the matter of supposed Russian collusion with the Trump administration] can ‘definitively establish’ something, when indictments are unproven charges – then cut me off when I tried to point out that one of the two indictments you asked us to ‘agree’ with had been dropped.”

You're an attorney who claimed an indictment can "definitively establish" something, when indictments are unproven charges – then cut me off when I tried to point out that one of the two indictments you asked us to "agree" with had been dropped. https://t.co/iSmUMsY09T

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) March 11, 2023

Taibbi also pointed that “all Americans ‘belong’ in any policy conversation. It’s your privilege to work for voters, not to tell them which issues they’re qualified to discuss.”

Also, congressman, as @fugitivemama points out, all Americans “belong” in any policy conversation. It’s your privilege to work for voters, not to tell them which issues they’re qualified to discuss. https://t.co/iSmUMsY09T

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) March 11, 2023

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Tabibi noted that the Democratic congressman fell for the narrative that the Hunter Biden laptop was a part of Russian disinformation back in October 2020. He wrote “No wonder…[he] didn’t approve of the #TwitterFiles…” and attached his comment to Mr. Goldman’s 2020 rant about how the laptop is Russian disinformation.

No wonder @danielsgoldman didn’t approve of the #TwitterFiles… https://t.co/cGIvmGTp7b

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) March 12, 2023

Mr. Goldman tried to defend himself by writing “The uniform assessment of the IC, the Senate Intelligence Committee, and 100 pages of detailed evidence set forth in Mueller’s indictments all concluded that Russia interfered in the election. And it was dropped for reasons entirely unrelated to the charges. Why fight this?”

The uniform assessment of the IC, the Senate Intelligence Committee, and 100 pages of detailed evidence set forth in Mueller’s indictments all concluded that Russia interfered in the election.

And it was dropped for reasons entirely unrelated to the charges.

Why fight this? https://t.co/GOGXXlWcoS

— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) March 11, 2023

Taibbi would have none of it and simply wrote “Congressman, you asked me to ‘agree’ with an indictment the Justice Department itself dropped!” and attached a link to an article on the subject.

Congressman, you asked me to “agree” with an indictment the Justice Department itself dropped! https://t.co/NPVKm3Pvgq https://t.co/pPTn1V7wCT

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) March 12, 2023

Robert Barnes, a civil rights attorney, interjected and told Mr. Goldman to “Quit lying. Case was dropped for reasons directly related to the charges — namely, discovery would disprove them. #Russiagate is as fake today as it was then.”

Quit lying. Case was dropped for reasons directly related to the charges — namely, discovery would disprove them. #Russiagate is as fake today as it was then.

— Robert Barnes (@barnes_law) March 12, 2023

Mr. Shellenberger lamented Democrat’s response during Thursday’s hearings and wrote “Democrats on Thursday didn’t come out directly for censorship. Mostly they slandered Matt Taibbi and me by claiming that we were only reporting on the Twitter Files for cash and clout while undermining our credibility by testifying before Congress.”  He later added that “it’s censorship they are after, and it’s our fear of losing our freedom for which we are fighting.”

But it’s censorship they are after, and it’s our fear of losing our freedom for which we are fighting.

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) March 11, 2023

Clearly Mr. Goldman bit off more than he could chew and his side was worse for the wear in their feeble attempt to cover for government censorship.