Hundreds of new accounts tweeted support of releasing controversial memo: report
The Twitter hashtag campaign #ReleaseTheMemo was partially driven by hundreds of Twitter accounts created just last week, according to CNN analysis.
The media outlet found that more than 1,000 accounts that were created between the Thursday the hashtags started appearing and the following Sunday night had tweeted #ReleaseTheMemo.
The tag is aimed at pushing for the release of a controversial House Intelligence Committee memo alleging bias in the investigation of links between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Two hundred of the accounts had fewer than four total tweets by Sunday and at least one tweet in each account featured the release the memo hashtag.
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The memo was created by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and covers surveillance conducted by the FBI during the 2016 election.
It purportedly details evidence of bias on the part of the FBI and Department of Justice in its investigation of the Trump campaign’s interactions with Russia and shows “shocking” surveillance overreach.
Some Republicans in Congress have pushed for its release, but Democrats have fought against this, saying that the memo is a misleading attempt to torpedo special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of the Trump campaign’s possible dealings with Russia.
The German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy found last week that #ReleaseTheMemo was by far the most popular hashtag tweeted out by accounts it believes to be linked to Russian “troll farms” — groups which use social media to influence other countries’ political processes.
On Tuesday, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Twitter and Facebook asking that they investigate the potential Russian involvement in the #ReleaseTheMemo campaign.
The lawmakers expressed concern that attempts by Russian actors to influence the release of the memo “are intended to influence congressional action and undermine Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation,” of the possible Trump campaign ties to Russia.
Twitter said that it will work with the lawmakers to handle these concerns.