The last release of the Twitter files was a big one that outlines FBI involvement in flagging speech to Twitter, as my colleague Sister Toldjah reported.

The release shows that the FBI was in regular contact with Twitter to flag things–even going after things that were satire and jokes–based on “election interference.” They were even flagging obvious jokes, such as the election being on Wednesday, November 9 (the next day), and flagging parody accounts that made comments about having to wear a mask at the polls.

According to journalist Matt Taibbi, the FBI had 80 agents assigned to this social media-focused task force.

7. The FBI’s social media-focused task force, known as FTIF, created in the wake of the 2016 election, swelled to 80 agents and corresponded with Twitter to identify alleged foreign influence and election tampering of all kinds.

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 16, 2022

Eighty agents, to go after jokes about what day the election happens? Why are parodies and jokes even any of their business?

Meanwhile, where’s the action against the organized folks who were behind the BLM/Antifa riots in places like Portland?

Moreover, things that were essential news for consideration before the election — like the Hunter Biden laptop — were suppressed after the FBI went to places like Facebook, and talked about “election interference.”

Twitter even had weekly meetings with the FBI, DOJ, ODNI, and DHS, terming it “Government-Industry Sync,” on top of getting regularly flagging content from the FBI.

https://t.co/9IfX3IPzyi a letter to former Deputy General Counsel (and former top FBI lawyer) Jim Baker on Sep. 16, 2022, legal exec Stacia Cardille outlines results from her “soon to be weekly” meeting with DHS, DOJ, FBI, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence: pic.twitter.com/oE8fDjomNP

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 16, 2022

The FBI has now responded to the new Twitter files release.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the FBI said “The FBI regularly engages with private sector entities to provide information specific to identified foreign malign influence actors’ subversive, undeclared, covert, or criminal activities. Private sector entities independently make decisions about what, if any, action they take on their platforms and for their customers after the FBI has notified them.”

Do they think we were born yesterday, with a statement like that?

First of all, policing jokes — or for that matter, news stories about Hunter Biden’s laptop — had nothing to do with any “foreign malign influence.” You can’t try to deflect that it’s “private sector entities independently making the decision,” when you’re flagging Americans for censorship action. The left was screaming there wasn’t a First Amendment question; they may want to take a gander at this release.

It’s also not particularly reassuring that they pretend all this “syncing” is normal. No, it’s not normal to try to control speech, especially to that degree. What is the federal crime in making a joke about the election? This is government action involved in suppression. Their response, frankly, is more concerning. Notice what they don’t rebut–having 80 agents dedicated to the control exercise. Which means that that’s true. How much money are we paying for this group to police jokes?