(Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
Three members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation delivered a letter today to U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines expressing concerns and requesting a briefing about the possibility that foreign actors have been involved in the spread of disinformation surrounding Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
The letter, which was authored by U.S. Representatives Deborah Ross (D-NC2), Kathy Manning (D-NC6) and Wiley Nickel (D-NC13) explains that despite the massive and often heroic relief efforts conducted by federal and state officials, “an unprecedented amount of disinformation related to assistance efforts began spreading online.”
This is from the letter:
If it is determined that foreign individuals or governments are involved in spreading hurricane misinformation and disinformation, it will not be the only such source. Domestic political figures — most notably former President Donald Trump — have done the same thing almost from the moment Hurricane Helene struck.
Both the Associated Press and CNN have published lists of falsehoods Trump voiced during the week that followed the storm.
Click here to read lawmakers’ letter.