US President Donald Trump’s prime federal prosecutor in Washington has accused Wikipedia of permitting “data manipulation” and disseminating propaganda, in accordance with a letter seen by AFP on Monday.
The allegations by Edward Martin, which echoed years of conservative criticism directed on the on-line encyclopedia, threaten to jeopardize Wikipedia’s tax-exempt standing.
“Wikipedia is allowing data manipulation on its platform, together with the rewriting of key, historic occasions and biographical data of present and former American leaders, in addition to different issues implicating the nationwide safety and the pursuits of the USA,” Martin wrote within the letter to Wikimedia Basis, the nonprofit that runs the platform.
“Masking propaganda that influences public opinion beneath the guise of offering informational materials is antithetical to Wikimedia’s ‘academic’ mission.”
The four-page letter, despatched final week, demanded responses by Could 15 to a dozen questions in regards to the Wikimedia Basis’s operations.
Amongst them have been requests for detailed details about its editorial practices to make sure transparency and accountability, belief and security measures, and steps taken to stop international affect operations.
The Wikimedia Basis didn’t instantly reply to AFP’s request for remark.
“Hey Wikipedia: you’ll be able to run however you’ll be able to’t disguise!” Martin wrote on the platform X on the weekend, with out mentioning the letter.
In his letter, Martin mentioned he was searching for to find out whether or not Wikipedia’s actions have been in violation of its tax-exempt standing –- a probe that’s sometimes dealt with by tax authorities on the Inner Income Service.
The letter seems to be a part of a sweeping Trump administration marketing campaign to focus on media retailers, suppose tanks and analysis organizations lengthy accused by conservative campaigners of pushing a liberal political agenda.
Elon Musk, Trump’s billionaire ally, has beforehand referred to as for the defunding of Wikipedia and provided to provide the group a billion {dollars} in the event that they modified their identify to “Dickipedia.”
Martin, a controversial Trump loyalist, is the interim US legal professional for the District of Columbia and the president’s choose to serve in that function full time.
However Democratic lawmakers have sought to dam his appointment for his hyperlinks to the January 6, 2021 rebellion that noticed a violent mob attacking the US Capitol and for failing to reveal his frequent appearances on Russian media in obligatory disclosure kinds to the Senate.
“It’s well-documented that Ed Martin is a Donald Trump loyalist who has embraced a Nazi sympathizer and attacked legislation enforcement who stored lawmakers and workers protected throughout the January 6 rebellion,” Democratic Senator Dick Durbin mentioned earlier this month.
“The 150 undisclosed appearances Martin has made on Russian state media as just lately as April of final 12 months — as Russia was actively bombing Ukraine — raises additional critical questions on whether or not he has the temperament to function US Legal professional.”
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