Staff Reports
When Colleen Shogan, President Joe Biden’s pick for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), was accused of lying under oath about her personal Twitter account, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) was outraged. At the Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing, Hawley brought up Shogan’s allegedly “grossly partisan” and “offensive” tweets, which he requested she provide to the committee since she had set her account to private following her nomination. All Republican members voted against her confirmation during the first hearing held by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in September.
Joe Biden's nominee to be national Archivist took to Twitter to complain about mask mandates for kids being lifted. Then she lied about it under oath. And that's just the start 👇 pic.twitter.com/9ZK495GGKK
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) February 28, 2023
At the Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) requested Colleen Shogan to disclose her previously public Twitter posts, which he deemed as “pretty disturbing.” Shogan acknowledged the Senator’s query but declined to justify her political viewpoints expressed in the tweets related to gun control, COVID-19, and former President Trump. She contended that her social media presence was in her personal capacity and refused to respond to any further questions from Hawley.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) was taken aback by Colleen Shogan’s refusal to respond to his questions, which he deemed “extraordinary” and “unbelievable.” He then queried an article Shogan had penned in 2017, where she alleged that Republican presidents had adopted “anti-intellectualism as a conservative form of populism” to avoid being branded as elitist. Shogan responded that the article was about how Republican presidents employed practical language to communicate efficiently with the American public.
Hawley’s questioning of Shogan’s nomination is a prime example of the Biden administration’s willingness to appoint political activists, rather than qualified professionals, to key positions. It is clear that Shogan is not fit for the role of NARA head, as she has repeatedly lied under oath and refuses to answer questions about her personal political views. This is a dangerous precedent for the Biden administration to set, as it shows that they are willing to put politics over qualifications when it comes to appointing key positions.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) appealed to the committee to promptly intervene and “compel this witness to acknowledge that she is presently deceiving us” as it is imperative for the Senate to counter this conduct and guarantee that only competent professionals are nominated for vital positions in the Biden administration. The citizens of the United States merit superior representation than a nominee who misrepresents themselves under oath and declines to address questions about their private political beliefs.
Source: Townhall
