Berks County News

Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09) has written to Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Meta, following Zuckerberg's recent letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan in which he admits to censoring content on his social media platforms. In his letter, Congressman Meuser addresses serious concerns about Meta's practices related to content suppression and potential election interference.

Congressman Meuser's letter highlights several key points:

Content Manipulation Under Government Pressure: Congressman Meuser directly addresses Zuckerberg’s acknowledgment of Meta's decision to manipulate content on its platforms. He states, "Your dissemination of misinformation can easily be construed as election interference and very well may have impacted the 2020 presidential election. Your acknowledgement of censoring the New York Post’s article related to Hunter Biden’s laptop limited the open exchange of information related to a free and fair election."

Partisan Contributions Through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative: Congressman Meuser raises concerns about the $400 million contribution from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to The Center for Tech and Civic Life and The Center for Election Innovation and Research during the 2020 election cycle. "It’s my understanding derived from official FEC testimony, that nearly $25 million of those funds were used in four of the sixty-seven counties in Pennsylvania (Chester, Montgomery, Delaware, and Philadelphia). These counties, as you and your organization were aware, are heavily Democratic counties," Meuser writes. He also highlights that "the choice of organizations that the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative contributed to are in fact very partisan and have a long-standing record of being far left of center."

Illegal Ballot Harvesting Allegations: Congressman Meuser points out the serious allegations regarding the involvement of these organizations in ballot harvesting, an illegal practice in Pennsylvania. "Ballot harvesting, Mr. Zuckerberg, is illegal in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," Meuser reminds Zuckerberg. He underscores the potential legal consequences, stating, "Do understand that any actions taken that violate election law funded by you directly or via proxy organizations including indirectly supporting and paying for ballot harvesting could lead to all individuals and entities involved being held criminally liable." He also notes that "in Pennsylvania, ballot harvesting carries a penalty of up to fifteen thousand dollars in fines or seven years in prison or both (25 P.S.§ 3527)."

Demand for Neutrality and Compliance: In his letter, Congressman Meuser demands that Zuckerberg uphold his stated commitment to neutrality and ensure compliance with election laws. "We demand that your assertion to 'be neutral and not play a role one way or another' be upheld and that any future funding will not be used in a way that breaks the law," he writes. Meuser stresses the importance of upholding "the ethical and legal standards of our election process to assure voter confidence."

In addition to the letter, Congressman Meuser noted, "We must ensure that our election processes remain fair, transparent, and free from outside influence." Congressman Meuser continued. "Mr. Zuckerberg and his organization must be held accountable for their actions and ensure they promote unbiased information sharing for all Americans. This is paramount in restoring voter confidence among the electorate."

The full letter can be found here.

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