Democratic operatives are returning to their old big tech playbook ahead of crucial midterm elections in which their party is expected to take some big losses.
According to The Daily Wire, the operatives are reportedly behind dozens of pop-up fake news websites in key battleground states designed to push propaganda regarding alleged Democratic ‘accomplishments.’
Axios was the first to report on the story.
One operative reportedly behind the scheme is David Brock, a former conservative journalist who did a complete turnaround and founded Media Matters for America, a far-left and controversial nonprofit whose sole purpose is to attack conservative news organizations.
Lachlan Markay and Thomas Wheatley, two investigative journalists for Axios, reported that the operation uses a “patina of independent local news content designed to put a sheen of original reporting on partisan messaging.”
“The 51 pop-up sites have names such as the Milwaukee Metro Times, Macomb Digest, Mecklenburg Herald, and the Tri-City Record, and are aimed at key swing states Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin, according to the report,” the Daily Wire noted.
Dems operating a series of 51 'fake news' websites pushing left-wing stories in toss-up states in a bid to turn the midterms in their favor … Axios originally reported
Democrats are operating 'fake news' sites pushing left-wing stories https://t.co/XtFwDlpQY3 via @MailOnline
— Cara TXZEAL (@Cara_TXZEAL) October 8, 2022
The sites carry a veneer of legitimacy by featuring just enough aggregated reports on local sports and crime to appear like they are real news outlets. However, the mission appears to be the publication of ‘news’ heavily slanted towards Democrats while slamming Republicans, the investigative report found.
The “About Us” pages for the sites say they are owned by Local Report Inc., an Orando-based for-profit company that was set up just last year.
The Daily Wire adds:
Local Report has a relationship with The American Independent (TAI), whose current president is Matt Fuehrmeyer. Fuehrmeyer was a former senior aide at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and aide to the late former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Many of the articles appearing on Local Report sites are written by a half-dozen writers who work for the Washington-based TAI, which was founded by Brock. Jessica McCreight, a former Obama administration operative, who serves as the American Independent’s executive editor, told Axios that American Independent and the Local Report have a partnership and “co-publishing agreement.” She claimed the sites are legitimate local news outlets.
“It’s been widely reported that where local news outlets shut down, dis- and misinformation grows,” she said. “To combat this challenge, the American Independent has expanded to bring readers local, fact-based news and information on topics and issues that impact their communities.”
Local Report also issued a similar-sounding statement to Axios: “Our portfolio includes a number of digital news sites across the country that are focused on sharing local news and providing readers with fact-based coverage of their communities. We are proud to collaborate with partners like the American Independent that are also committed to bringing the public reliable information that they can trust.”
That said, there does not appear to be any advertiser support for any of the sites. But they do feature glowing reports about Democratic candidates like Stacey Abrams, who is running for governor of Georgia, as well as Michigan Secretary of State candidate Jocelyn Benson.
