Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent admission that he has paused his “Zuckerbucks” scheme overlooks the fact that the Biden-Harris administration has adopted and expanded this concept — potentially unlawfully — on a scale that renders Zuckerberg’s involvement largely redundant.
In a Monday letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), Zuckerberg reiterated his 2022 pledge to end the controversial program. This move appears aimed at placating conservatives, a strategy that has included recent outreach to former President Donald Trump.
However, the Biden-Harris administration’s 2021 executive order has significantly overshadowed Zuckerberg’s initiative. This order requires every federal agency to develop voter registration and participation programs, all subject to White House approval.
Zuckerberg had initially promised to pause his program in response to public scrutiny over claims that it disproportionately targeted potential Democratic voters. This pledge came after the Biden-Harris executive order was issued.
Zuckerberg faced pressure to contribute after Democrats blamed him for Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, alleging that Facebook facilitated the spread of misinformation by Russian troll farms.
In his letter, Zuckerberg maintained that the efforts were intended to support public welfare and were not driven by partisan interests. “The idea was to ensure local election jurisdictions had the resources needed to help people vote safely during a global pandemic,” Zuckerberg stated.
In his letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sought to address concerns about the company’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 election. Zuckerberg acknowledged that the Biden-Harris administration had successfully pressured Facebook to censor COVID-19 content and that FBI warnings about now-debunked “Russian disinformation” led the company to “demote” information regarding the Hunter Biden laptop.
These admissions are a significant victory for Jordan, who has been a leading figure in overseeing Facebook’s activities since becoming Judiciary Committee Chairman in 2023.
However, Zuckerberg’s acknowledgment of these long-established events, coupled with his reiterated 2022 pledge to pause the “Zuckerbucks” initiative, seems to be a strategic maneuver. By shifting focus from Facebook's alleged partisan activities, Zuckerberg appears to be aiming to deflect scrutiny amidst heightened oversight and a rising Republican presence.
Despite Zuckerberg’s attempt to distance himself from the controversy, the “Zuckerbucks” program, which he portrayed as a pioneering effort, was effectively rendered obsolete by the Biden-Harris administration’s expanded federal voter initiatives. The scope of these government programs now far surpasses Zuckerberg’s earlier efforts, despite the substantial funding he provided before the 2020 election.
The House Administration Committee has subpoenaed officials from the Biden-Harris administration regarding this program but has faced resistance. “We know these agencies have developed and begun implementing get-out-the-vote efforts, yet they continue to defy our subpoena request,” Chairman Bryan Steil said in July.
With Congress divided, the program is expected to continue, and its full impact may not be evident until after the 2024 election. For conservatives still reeling from the 2020 election, this could prove to be a troubling development.