Wyden, Colleagues Press FBI and DHS for Information on QAnon Threat Posed to America and Abroad
Letter seeks answers on how QAnon operations peddle dangerous conspiracy theories
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today joined his colleagues in requesting from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a written assessment to Congress on the threat posed by QAnon in the United States and abroad. The senators also requested information on the role of foreign influence operations in the inception and amplification of QAnon conspiracy theories.
In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Principal Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Joseph Maher, the senators wrote, “QAnon conspiracy theories have inspired acts of domestic extremism and violence, sought to undermine democratic institutions, and contributed to hatred in the United States and overseas. There is also reporting indicating that foreign influence operations have contributed to the dissemination of QAnon conspiracy theories.”
QAnon has been active in attacking America’s democratic institutions by disseminating false and dangerous conspiracy theories, including about the November 2020 presidential election. Recent reports also indicate that foreign influence operations have contributed to the amplification of QAnon conspiracy theories resulting in dangerous misinformation campaigns.
“[W]e request that you provide to Congress a written assessment of the threat posed by QAnon, in the United States and abroad, and on the role of foreign influence operations in the inception and amplification of QAnon conspiracy theories. We further request that this assessment be made public, with any classified matters provided separately to Congress through appropriate channels,” the senators concluded.
The letter, led by U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., was also signed by Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Ed Markey, D-Mass., Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.
A PDF of the letter is here.
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