Last Tuesday, not just one, but two, batches of the Twitter Files were released. In the second one, "Twitter and the FBI 'Belly Button,'" which has to do with a COVID cover-up, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) is referenced further down in the thread based on claims that he asked Twitter to suspend Paul Sperry, of RealClearInvestigations and the New York Post. Though the social media platform initially refused, it did ultimately suspend Sperry.
28.“WE DON’T DO THIS” Even Twitter declined to honor Schiff’s request at the time. Sperry was later suspended, however. pic.twitter.com/9PX2Zw5Nzj
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) January 3, 2023
More has continued to come out in the days since, as Sperry, who is back on Twitter, has spoken out about what was revealed.
As our friends at Twitchy highlighted, Sperry was tweeting his thoughts hours after the batch of the Twitter Files in question came out.
Before @ElonMusk, Twitter was just an app for the U.S. Intelligence Community -- FBI, DHS, ODNI, CIA, NSA CISA and, now we learn, Schiff's HPSCI as well as SSCI
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) January 4, 2023
Talk about cyberbullying! @AdamSchiff used his power as head of House Intel to muscle Twitter into banning a journalist--muzzling the reporter who outed his impeachment "whistleblower" as an anti-Trump partisan Democrat, exposing Schiff's impeachment proceeding as a political ops
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) January 4, 2023
On Saturday, shortly after Schiff was officially sworn in for the 118th Congress, Sperry also tweeted about the congressman, claiming that he had violated his oath of office. He also called out mainstream media outlets for not sufficiently highlighting a powerful sitting congressman calling for a social media platform to take action against a journalist.
This is the oath @AdamSchiff violated:
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) January 8, 2023
“I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution [incl the First Amendment]; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion"
DEVELOPING: DC press corps, including WaPo & POLITICO, have failed to cover congressional leader Adam Schiff strong-arming Twitter to ban a journalist, abridging press freedom & free speech,despite the smoking-gun email released from #TwitterFiles. Protecting a prominent Democrat
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) January 8, 2023
On Tuesday, Sperry tweeted more information, sharing that he was banned a month after Sperry and RealClear editors were told to retract their whistleblower stories, with Sperry and RealClear in response saying to "take a hike."
NEW: After Schiff pressured Twitter, he used Jan 6 as excuse to pressure me and my editors @ RealClear to retract our whistleblower stories. His chief of staff claimed they were “dangerous” and could lead to more "violence.” We told them to take a hike. A month later I was banned
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) January 10, 2023
Some Twitter users suggested in response to such damning revelations that Sperry sue Schiff. It appears he may be moving forward with just that. On Tuesday night, Sperry tweeted out a Fox News article with the headline "Reporter threatens legal action against Adam Schiff after Twitter Files bombshell."
BREAKING: Reporter threatens legal action against Adam Schiff after Twitter Files bombshell
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) January 11, 2023
'We are exploring legal options, including defamation,' Paul Sperry told Brian Kilmeadehttps://t.co/r36aH29DML
The Fox News article, by Kristine Parks, explains how Sperry spoke to Brian Kilmeade about Schiff and the first impeachment trial against then-President Donald Trump. When it comes to that lawsuit, Sperry says "we are exploring legal options, including defamation."
"So, Schiff didn't like the fact I outed his anonymous whistleblower as a partisan Democrat — he's a holdover from the Obama White House working in the Trump White House. And [Schiff] also didn't like the fact that I exposed the whistleblower's prior relationship with the key member of Schiff's impeachment staff," Sperry had also said, describing himself as "kind of a thorn in Schiff's side," which made the congressman "angry."
The Twitter suspension came without any real reason, and Sperry also mentioned how said the congressman's interference affected his ability to do his job.
Speaking more about the oath he believes Schiff violated, Sperry pointed out that "my stories went viral on Twitter, and he tried to silence me and remove content, which is outrageous censorship by a powerful government official. He was the head of the House Intelligence [Committee] at the time, and he was sworn to protect the First Amendment and free speech and the press."
Townhall reached out to Rep. Schiff's office multiple times for comment about the congressman being mentioned in the Twitter files, as well as Mr. Sperry's claims, but has not heard back. The congressman has also been silent about this edition of Twitter Files when it comes to his own tweets.
Schiff did, however, provide a statement to CNN's Oliver Darcy last month with regards to concerns from Elon Musk that the congressman approved of censorship.
New: @RepAdamSchiff responds to @elonmusk suggesting he might have approved "hidden state censorship."
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) December 20, 2022
"No, I don’t support censorship. That is a fanatical stretch even from an (outgoing) CEO whose tenure at Twitter has been marked by a dramatic increase in hate speech." pic.twitter.com/jtOMXAtBa1
The congressman also responded to Musk via a quoted retweet.
I don’t support censorship. Or hate speech.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) December 20, 2022
As the (outgoing) CEO of Twitter, how about you? Why not do more to stop slurs against Black people, LGBTQ+ people, Jewish people, and others? Do you commit to providing the public with actual answers and data, not just tweets? https://t.co/aejdHNLud5
"Schiff" and "Pencil Neck" have been trending on Twitter with regards to Sperry's tweets, and also with regards to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) moving ahead with the promise to remove him from the House Intelligence Committee.
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