Ex-Officials Say Leaked Files Contain No Evidence of Domestic Censorship
A set of files from the disbanded Global Engagement Center, leaked by a State Department official, does not support claims of domestic censorship, according to two former leaders of the office. The office, which tracked foreign propaganda, was defunded and closed, but similar efforts are being restarted elsewhere. The leak appears to be part of an ongoing political dispute over the office's mission.
The leaked files, released by State Department undersecretary Sarah Rogers after analyst Jennica Pounds rejected them, include a 2022 report on “gendered disinformation.” Former GEC leaders Daniel Kimmage and Carrie Goux reviewed the material and found no evidence the office targeted domestic speech, noting its mandate was explicitly foreign-facing. The GEC lost funding in 2024 and was dissolved in 2025 under Trump, but similar counter-propaganda work is reportedly resuming elsewhere, including a proposed $11m campaign to pay influencers in southeast Asia against Chinese influence.
This dispute could shape public trust in government information efforts, as conservatives may see the leak as confirmation of censorship while former officials frame it as a mischaracterization. The resumption of similar work elsewhere may fuel ongoing political polarization over how the U.S. counters foreign influence, potentially affecting how citizens perceive state-funded messaging and whether such programs gain or lose public legitimacy.