Journalist's Jaw Hit the Floor After Learning Who Was Vetting the 'Twitter Files'
Journalist Bari Weiss — who along with Matt Taibbi, has been tapped by Twitter CEO Elon Musk to publicly release the “Twitter Files” — was shocked to learn the person in charge of the process within the company: Deputy General Counsel Jim Baker.
He’s not to be confused with the televangelist of the 1980s, but does have his own claim to fame as the former top lawyer at the FBI.
The Washington Times reported that he served in that post for four years leaving in June 2020 to join Twitter.
His time at the FBI was eventful, including very much being involved with the Russia hoax, which was the bureau’s investigation into whether then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign was colluding with the Kremlin to win the 2016 race.
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team later concluded the Trump campaign did not collude with Russia.
Baker came over to Twitter in time to get wrapped up in helping suppress the Hunter Biden laptop story just prior to the 2020 presidential election.
That’s the same laptop with emails and other communications suggesting that President Joe Biden may very well be compromised by his family’s overseas business dealings in communist China and Ukraine among other places.
Baker wrote in an October 2020 email chain included in the first installment of the “Twitter Files” on Friday that “caution is warranted” regarding allowing the laptop story to be shared on Twitter.
28. To which former Deputy General Counsel Jim Baker again seems to advise staying the non-course, because “caution is warranted”: pic.twitter.com/tg4D0gLWI6
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 3, 2022
Taibbi tweeted Tuesday about how he and Weiss learned of Baker’s role in overseeing the documents released in the Twitter Files.
“On Friday, the first installment of the Twitter files was published here. We expected to publish more over the weekend. Many wondered why there was a delay,” Taibbi wrote.
“We can now tell you part of the reason why. On Tuesday, Twitter Deputy General Counsel (and former FBI General Counsel) Jim Baker was fired. Among the reasons? Vetting the first batch of ‘Twitter Files’ — without knowledge of new management.” he explained.
We can now tell you part of the reason why. On Tuesday, Twitter Deputy General Counsel (and former FBI General Counsel) Jim Baker was fired. Among the reasons? Vetting the first batch of “Twitter Files” – without knowledge of new management.
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 6, 2022
Taibbi noted that it was Weiss who uncovered that Baker connection.
“Over the weekend, while we both dealt with obstacles to new searches, it was [Weiss] who discovered that the person in charge of releasing the files was someone named Jim. When she called to ask ‘Jim’s’ last name, the answer came back: ‘Jim Baker,” Taibbi recounted.
“‘My jaw hit the floor,’ says Weiss,” who left The New York Times in July 2020 because the paper was too driven by wokeness and the policies of social media platforms like Twitter for her to maintain her journalistic integrity.
“My jaw hit the floor,” says Weiss.
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 6, 2022
Conservative journalist Jack Posobiec tweeted Tuesday in response to it all, “James Baker was the FBI’s asset at Twitter and scrubbed the Twitter Files before Matt Taibbi received them. He has just been escorted from Twitter HQ.”
“And you wondered why there were no references found to the FBI and the Hunter laptop,” he wrote.
James Baker was the FBI’s asset at Twitter and scrubbed the Twitter Files before Matt Taibbi received them
He has just been escorted from Twitter HQ
And you wondered why there were no references found to the FBI and the Hunter laptop…
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) December 6, 2022
The New York Post’s Miranda Devine, who helped break the Hunter Biden laptop story in Oct. 2020, noticed the absence of any mention of the FBI in last week’s “Twitter Files” release.
Devine told Fox News on Saturday that it’s “fantastic” that Musk is making his company’s communications regarding censoring the story in 2020 public.
“Unfortunately he left out a crucial element, and that was the involvement of the FBI,” she said.
Devine noted that is a matter of public record that the FBI approached Twitter and Facebook in the days and weeks before the Post’s story came out warning them of a “hack and leak” operation likely involving Hunter Biden.
She said the FBI was monitoring her communications with Rudy Giuliani and knew exactly when the story would drop, hence the heads up to Twitter and Facebook.
In light of concerns about Baker’s possible role in suppression of information important to the public dialogue, he was exited from Twitter today
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 6, 2022
Baker’s involvement in all of this is quite a stunning revelation.
So glad Musk has taken over Twitter and is allowing the company’s past misdeeds to come to light.
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