"All this demonstrates is that the Biden White House has lost confidence in the news media... The problem is, they're trying to influence coverage."
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Texas Insider Report) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has directed a U.S. House of Representatives Committee to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden over his family's business dealings. Immediately, the Biden White House wasted no time fighting back against the House investigation – sending a letter to top media executives and outlets instructing them "to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans” ahead of the House's proceedings.
With the media industry already under scrutiny for years worth of increased advocacy and bias coverage creating the danger of a State-run de facto Media, a letter written by the Biden White House's Legal Counsel Office was striking in its call for major media outlets to “ramp up their scrutiny” of House Republicans “for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies.”
First reported by CNN, Ian Sams – who as spokesman for the White House Counsel’s Office was also clearly acting as spokesperson for the White House impeachment war room – wrote a letter sent to news organizations such as The New York Times, Fox News, the Associated Press, CBS News and others.
Attempting to influence mainstream media's coverage of House Committee's investigations, Sams letter said an impeachment inquiry should "set off alarm bells for news organizations."
In its letter, the White House asked news organizations to be more clear-eyed in their coverage of the impeachment inquiry, and not fall prey to the traps of false equivalency in reporting.
“It’s time for the media to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies.
“Covering impeachment as a process story – Republicans say X, but the White House says Y – is a disservice to the American public who relies on the independent press to hold those in power accountable,” Sams wrote.
Giving creedence to the possibility that a system is in place for such coercion – rather than by consent – the White House sent the letter to top news executives, urging them to intensify their scrutiny and coverage of the House's impeachment inquiry.
"Has the White House gotten so bold that they are brazenly telling the media to predetermine their coverage?" wrote Republican Iowa Cong. Ashley Hinson, calling the letter "outrageous."
"As a former reporter, this is outrageous. Republicans will follow the facts wherever they will lead. And the media should report the facts without bias," wrote Hinson on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Award-winning journalist and digital media specialist Matthew Keys, who has previously worked for Reuters, San Francisco's ABC News 7, Sacramento's Fox News 40 and others before now covering the business of media and tech, was also quick to respond, saying:
"This is not OK. The White House should not be encouraging, influencing or interfering in the editorial strategies of America's newsrooms – including CNN and the New York Times," said Keys via Tweet.
"All this demonstrates is that the Biden administration has lost confidence in the news media – which I guess mirrors public sentiment over the last few years, too."
"The problem is they're trying to influence coverage. The government should never do that. It is inappropriate," Keys wrote.
In announcing the launch of the Biden Impeachment Inquiry, Speaker McCarthy noted that the House Oversight Committee's year-long investigation had found a "culture of corruption" surrounding President Biden and his family, and had gathererd evidence into the business dealings of Biden's son, Hunter Biden, from before the Democrat took office.
Since January, the House Committees on Oversight & Accountability, the Judiciary, and the tax-focused Ways & Means Committee have uncovered an overwhelming amount of evidence showing President Biden abused his public office for his family’s financial gain.
Thousands of pages of financial records, emails, texts, testimony from credible IRS whistleblowers, and a transcribed interview with Biden family business associate Devon Archer have all revealed that Joe Biden has allowed his family to sell him as "the brand" around the world for years in seeking to enrich the Biden family.
"These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives," McCarthy said, directing the House Committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden.
The investigations have found that Joe Biden's involvement showed at least 24 or more occasions where he sent signals of access, influence, and power to those who were paying the Bidens, McCarthy and other House investigators have said.
"Now, any time the media DOES try to hold Republican lawmakers to account, those lawmakers can simply counter by questioning whether it's actual journalism – or something encouraged by the Biden administration," Keys added.
