Josh Hawley Grills Alejandro Mayorkas on Records on the Disinformation Governance Board

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) this week grilled Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas regarding records on the Disinformation Governance Board after the secretary claimed to not know if the department had any records concerning the board.

Mayorkas claimed not to know the complete background of radical leftist Nina Jankowicz, who was selected to head up the effort.

“I will not discuss the internal workings of the hiring process,” Mayorkas said before Hawley asked about documents pertaining to the board.

“Communications about who would serve on the board. Will you release those to this committee?” Hawley asked, prompting Mayorkas to deflect, suggesting there were not yet documents.

“There are no” — he began before Hawley interjected.

“There are no minutes of meetings about this board. … You have not created any records,” he pressed.

Mayorkas claimed the board has not yet begun its work, as Hawley pointed out that they already hired Jankowicz.

“You’re telling me that there are no documents associated with this board,” Hawley said, as Mayorkas replied, “I don’t know.”

Hawley pressed on, asking for the minutes of meetings and records of communications about who would serve on the board.

“Will you turn those over to this committee?” Hawley asked, as Mayorkas said he will turn the documents over “unless there is a legal basis for us not to do so” — a problematic response, according to the senator.

WATCH:

WATCH: Mayorkas tells @HawleyMO he doesn't know if DHS has any records on the Disinformation Governance Board because "the board has not yet met." But Nina Jankowicz herself says she's been working on board for "the past two months." Doing what? pic.twitter.com/Hnshqnk6JZ

— Philip Letsou (@philipletsou) May 4, 2022

Hawley also confronted Mayorkas, asking why he does not “just dissolve this board.”

“I mean, you haven’t heard a single Senator support this board,” Hawley said. “It is an abomination, it is unconstitutional, and frankly it is embarrassing. And the fact that you’ve chosen this person to lead it is appalling.”

The Missouri senator this week introduced a bill designed to dissolve the Biden administration’s Disinformation Governance Board, deeming it “nothing short of a censorship committee vested with the full powers of the federal government to monitor dissenting speech and opposing viewpoints under the guise of national security.”