“Coordinated Disinformation Campaign Alleged by FEC Complaint Against Biden’s 2020 Run

Last week, a nonpartisan government watch-dog group, Campaign Legal Center, filed an explosive Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint that alleged a coordinated disinformation campaign by the Biden 2020 campaign. The complaint brings to light the serious challenge of dealing with falsehoods in election campaigns. The FEC complaint alleges that the Biden campaign, and its allies, sought to spread false and misleading information about President Donald Trump’s business record, appearances and positions on key issues. The complaint details several instances in which accounts claiming to be unaffiliated with the Biden campaign circulated false or misleading information. For example, one account was used to criticize President Trump’s business record despite having no connection to the Biden campaign. The Complaint further alleges that the Biden campaign’s official accounts engaged in a coordinated disinformation effort when they began to retweet or signal boost tweets from these fake accounts. This was done with the intention to mislead voters on issues related to the 2020 presidential election. The CLC also alleges that the disinformation campaign flagged by the FEC complaint was not limited to online activity. In addition to promoting-falsehoods on social media, CLC alleges that the Biden 2020 campaign coordinated with allies to engage in activities such as distributing misinformation flyers in swing states. The filing of the FEC Complaint is yet another signal of how significant and difficult the challenge of dealing with misinformation has become. In an election season already inundated with false and misleading information, the coordinated disinformation campaign alleged in the FEC complaint highlights the danger of not taking adequate measures to ensure the accuracy and transparency of a campaign’s messaging. As the 2020 election approaches, it is imperative that candidates adhere to strict standards when it comes to the information they disseminate or engage with. Voters rely on accurate information to make informed decisions, and anything else undermines democracy.