Elections

News Outlets Falsely Report Buttigieg would be First Openly Gay Cabinet Member

Published

1 year ago

December 16, 2020

President-elect Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that he is nominating former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg for Secretary of Transportation, leading media outlets to immediately begin falsely reporting that if confirmed, the former South Bend, Indiana mayor would be the first openly gay cabinet member.

Mayor @PeteButtigieg is a leader, patriot, and problem-solver. He speaks to the best of who we are as a nation.

I am nominating him for Secretary of Transportation because he's equipped to take on the challenges at the intersection of jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 16, 2020

Queerty, ABC News and Pink News all reported that and ABC News went as far as to say that “Buttigieg would make history” if confirmed to the Cabinet.

In February, Trump named Richard Grenell acting director of national intelligence, a Cabinet position. This was the first time in American history that an openly gay person led the intelligence community.

It was reported in February by Queerty, an online magazine and newspaper covering LGBTQ news, that Grenell was the “first openly gay cabinet member in history.”

On Wednesday, Queerty reported Buttigieg as the first “out” Cabinet member.

Pete Buttigieg makes history as first out Cabinet member – https://t.co/xuEX6j47kP pic.twitter.com/MONGNuEmir
— Queerty (@Queerty) December 16, 2020

Queerty is being called out online for the hypocrisy.

"Journalism" pic.twitter.com/x1PVVAsklY
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) December 16, 2020

Lmao you can’t make it up pic.twitter.com/CVROVYKYFR
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 16, 2020

Pink News, a UK based LGBTQ-focused news outlet, is also being criticized for similar reporting.

This is actually hilarious pic.twitter.com/ml3c3GquRU
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) November 10, 2020

Elections

FBI punishing employees who attended Jan 6 rally by revoking security clearances

Published

2 weeks ago

May 6, 2022

Sara Carter Staff

The official Twitter account of the GOP House Judiciary Committee released an alarming warning: “Whistleblowers alert that the FBI appears to be attempting to terminate the employment of employees who were engaged in protected First Amendment activity on January 6, 2021.”

#NEWS: Whistleblowers alert that the FBI appears to be attempting to terminate the employment of employees who were engaged in protected First Amendment activity on January 6, 2021.

The employees did not enter the United States Capitol and have not been charged with any crime. pic.twitter.com/0WCIOsg620

— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) May 6, 2022

A letter from ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), to FBI Director Christopher Wray, addresses how several whistleblowers exposed the FBI of stripping employees of security clearances.

The letter cites claims of multiple whistleblowers who say the FBI has been purposely punishing those who attended then-president Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally on January 6, 2021, by revoking their clearances. Reportedly many of them did not even enter the U.S. Capitol.

“While FBI employees may not participate in partisan political campaigns, [they] do not give up their rights to engage in political speech activity,” wrote Jordan. “We have serious concerns that the FBI appears to be retaliating against employees for engaging in political speech disfavored by FBI leadership,” he added.

The primary whistleblower is described as a 20-year veteran of the FBI and U.S. military. Jordan believes the FBI’s actions could potentially result in the administrative extermination of the individuals’ employment because the FBI requires top-secret security clearances for majority of its employees.

Jordan has required that the FBI brief the committee on the security clearances matter by May 20.