July 31, 2022—On July 14 the Ukrainian Government's  “Center to Counter Disinformation” posted my name and photograph on a list of 72 individuals whom they accuse on their website of “promoting narratives consonant with Russian propaganda.”  While that is already an egregious assault on our Constitutional right to Freedom of Speech by a foreign power, I have since learned that on the day the Ukrainian blacklist was posted, the Center’s Director Andriy Shapolavov, speaking at an international roundtable on “countering disinformation” with “representatives of state authorities, public organizations, mass media and international experts…supported by the US State Department” called such people as those listed, “information terrorists,” and said that Ukraine is preparing legislation so that such people can be prosecuted as “war criminals.” (See the Center’s website https://cpd.gov.ua/events/3898/)

This has obvious security implications for myself and each of the individuals listed, who include former U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, current U.S. Senator Rand Paul, and notably 30 of us who spoke at conferences sponsored by the Schiller Institute of Helga Zepp-LaRouche, who made the top of the list, only after Graham Fuller, who was also a speaker at the Schiller Institute conference.        Scott Ritter, a prominent military analyst and former UN weapons inspector, who is also on the list, released a public letter to his federal representatives, including Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Representative Tonko, all of whom voted for the emergency supplemental funding for the Ukrainian government in what became Public law 117-128. Ritter writes, “By enacting Public Law 117-128, you appear to have abrogated your Constitutional responsibilities in so far as you may have, in fact, made a law which both abridges the freedom of speech and a free press by enabling the Government of Ukraine, through the use of US taxpayer dollars appropriated under Public Law 117-128, to publish a ‘blacklist’ singling out US citizens as ‘Russian propagandists’ for exercising their Constitutional rights pertaining to free speech and a free press.”

He further writes: “As a constituent whose name has appeared on a so-called ‘blacklist’ published by the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, my personal and professional life has been, and continues to be, detrimentally impacted by the chilling effect of being labeled a ‘Russian propagandist’ for simply exercising the right to free speech guaranteed by the United States Constitution. Moreover, Ukraine has a history of converting ‘blacklists’ of this nature into ‘kill lists’, where those who speak out against the policies of the Ukrainian government are being murdered or threatened with violence. I am certain you agree with me that Congress cannot be in a position where, through its actions, foreign governments are provided the means to intimidate citizens of the United States from exercising their Constitutionally protected rights regarding free speech.

“As such, I respectfully request that each of you investigate what role, if any, funds authorized by you under Public Law 117-128, have been used to underwrite the actions of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, and more specifically, if any funds appropriated under Public Law 117-128 have been used to pay the salaries of Ukrainian civil servants employed by the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation involved in the preparation and dissemination of this so-called ‘blacklist’.”

As a LaRouche-affiliated independent candidate for U.S. Senate, specifically challenging Senator Charles Schumer in the November 8 midterm election, I would like to underscore what Scott Ritter has said, and ask the additional question of Majority Leader Schumer, “Is it your intent to silence my voice in an indirect, but menacing  fashion, by voting to fund Ukrainian Civil Servants who have stated that I should be arrested for war crimes?”

I understand that a member of the Danish Parliament has responded to a request from a Danish Citizen named on the blacklist that there will be an investigation in the Danish Parliament of how this came about, and who is funding it. 

Given that Americans are very sensitive about foreign governments meddling in our elections, as the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation appears to be doing, I would urge that our Representatives launch an investigation into whether U.S. taxpayer money is being used to support agencies which would seek to curtail our First Amendment rights and alter the outcome of upcoming elections. Senator Schumer owes me an explanation.

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