America First Legal (AFL) has released evidence suggesting that the U.K.-based Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) and its leadership, including CEO Imran Ahmed, have engaged in activities aimed at censoring American speech and influencing U.S. elections. AFL has requested that the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigate whether CCDH's operations in the United States require compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
CCDH, a nonprofit organization primarily based in the U.K., is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States. It shares an address with "Labour Together," a think tank associated with the U.K. Labour Party.
According to AFL, CCDH published a report on March 24, 2021, labeling certain COVID-19 lockdown critics as "the Disinformation Dozen" and called for their de-platforming. Following this report, twelve Democratic attorneys general sent letters to Twitter and Facebook CEOs seeking to censor these views.
AFL's investigation revealed that Rowan Kane from the Connecticut Attorney General's Office circulated a draft letter citing the CCDH report before its publication date. This suggests possible coordination between CCDH and state attorney general offices.
Additionally, leaked documents indicate that CCDH engaged with Senator Kobuchar’s team for policy discussions and outlined priorities such as influencing social media regulation in the U.S.
Gene Hamilton, Executive Director of America First Legal, stated: "Our investigation has uncovered shocking details about a foreign organization’s influence over the Biden-Harris Administration and numerous state governments... The time to investigate is now."
AFL continues to advocate against foreign influence and censorship affecting American free speech rights.