Chairman: Senate Judiciary to vote on subpoena for Mark Zuckerberg

The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote next week on whether to authorize a subpoena for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg after criticism over the platform’s handling of limiting the spread of a New York Post story, according to committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). 

Graham indicated to Politico on Friday that the committee will vote on whether to subpoena Zuckerberg, a day after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said the committee will vote on whether or not to subpoena Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. 

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said Friday the committee should also vote to subpoena Zuckerberg amid harsh criticism from congressional Republicans over the platform’s decision to curb the spread of the Post story about Hunter Biden. The story drew skepticism over its sourcing. 

Graham indicated he would follow through with Hawley’s suggestion. 

“Yeah, I think I will,” Graham told Politico, when asked about Hawley’s remarks as Graham campaigned in North Charleston, S.C. 

President Trump and his GOP allies this week harshly criticized Twitter and Facebook over their handling of the Post story, renewing allegations that the platforms harbor an anti-conservative bias. 

Twitter blocked users from tweeting links to the Post story, saying the article violated its hacked materials policy. The company on Thursday night said it had changed its policy on hacked material. 

Facebook has not made clear which aspect of the Post article led to the decision to limit its spread. The company pointed to its policy on viral misinformation, which states that Facebook can limit distribution before a third-party fact-checker evaluates a piece “if we have signals that a piece of content is false.” 

Zuckerberg and Dorsey are already slated to appear before the Senate Commerce Committee later this month as part of a previously scheduled hearing. 

Facebook declined to comment. A spokesperson for Graham was not immediately available for comment.