1. Today, Facebook allowed GOP Super PAC American Crossroads to run an ad with a false attack on Raphael Warnock.
Facebook has taken down the same American Crossroads ad FOUR OTHER TIMES since December 17 -- 12/18, 12/20, 12/24, 12/31.
Now, it's back for a fifth time.
2. The American Crossroads ad tells Georgia voters on Facebook that Warnock said "God Damn America."
As if he was expressing his own views.
But he wasn't. He was quoting Jerimiah Wright in a speech he delivered on 7/11/13.
3. Here's Warnock's full quote: "Extracted from its theological and rhetorical context and looped to the point of ad nauseam was the most provocative phrase 'God Damn America'"
The ad claims this means Warnock "spewed anti-American hate"
FALSE.
4. Facebook is well aware of this issue.
I've been in contact with Facebook officials about it and I know it has been brought up repeatedly on their internal messaging platform
But Facebook has apparently done nothing to prevent American Crossroads from just republishing the ad
5. Perhaps the first time, or the first three times, you could chalk this up to incompentence.
But five times?
This is an $800 billion company with 50K employees.
6. The process of reporting this story is exhausting. But I'm going to stick with it. I think it's important.
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2. I obtained internal Facebook communications about the ads
On 12/24, Facebook exec Rod Leathern asked if Facebook should take action against American Crossroads "for attempting to circumvent our ads policies by repeatedly posting the same content?"
3. This is a very strange message because Leathern (who left Facebook on 12/30) "led the product team for Business Integrity at Facebook" and was responsible for "enforc[ing] ads and business policies across Facebook."
3. The big question is WHY Facebook can't detect and block these ads (which they acknowledge violate its policies) and WHY Facebook won't penalize American Crossroads despite its purposeful efforts to evade Facebook rules
@KLoeffler@sendavidperdue 2. In 2017, Zieve was sued by Washington State for discriminating against minority applicants and imposing his racist views on his employees.
3. The case describes Zieve's outrageous conduct. Zieve allegedly screened applicants by race, hired a nearly all-white staff, and offered employees a $1000 bonus for getting married and another $1000 bonus for having children.
I also know from employees that it is being raised internally.
They've already decided that previous versions of THE EXACT SAME AD violate its rules.
So there is no reason for delay.
3. According to Facebook's own metrics, these ads, which should never have been approved, have already reached hundreds of thousands of Georgia voters.
1. I wish I didn't have to do this but this is going to be a new thread about how Facebook is STILL permitting Republican Super PACs to REPEATEDLY VIOLATE FACEBOOK'S RULES and run ads with false attacks on Raphael Warnock.
Follow along if interested.
2. The story began on December 17, after Facebook begins allowing political ads in Georgia.
American Crossroads, a Super PAC run by Karl Rove and financed by Mitch McConnell, starts running a brutally dishonest ad against Raphael Warnock
3. The American Crossroads ad tells Georgia voters on Facebook that Warnock said "God Damn America."
As if he was expressing his own views.
But he wasn't. He was quoting Jerimiah Wright in a speech he delivered on 7/11/13.