Unlikely Hero: How Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan Exposed Censorship Campaigns in Brazil

In the ongoing struggle between Elon Musk and Alexandre de Moraes, a little-known figure from the United States has played a crucial role. Representative Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, is the one who published Moraes’ letters demanding the removal of content and blocking of users on X (formerly Twitter). The material was released this week by the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives.

Jim Jordan is no stranger to controversy. He is known for his staunch conservative views and his willingness to collaborate with Democrats in Congress. Despite facing criticism from some quarters for his overly aggressive style, he has an almost undefeated record in elections. He has represented Ohio’s fourth district since 2006 and has been re-elected eight times since then.

The report released by the committee includes 88 letters sent by Moraes to Twitter via the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) and STF (Supreme Federal Court). Most of them do not provide justification for removing content. The report exposes a censorship campaign in Brazil and presents a concerning case study of how governments can justify censorship in the name of combating hate speech and subversion.

Elon Musk had promised to release the material in full to prove what he claimed were illegal decisions made by Moraes. However, doing so on his own initiative could have exposed local employees at X to Moraes’ pen. The bridge with Jim Jordan solved this problem as he is chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives, one of the most important positions in American legislative hierarchy, equivalent to president of Constitution and Justice Committee of Brazilian Chamber of Deputies.

Jim Jordan received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump in 2021 for his work defending free speech rights in America. Although Brazil is not usually on American politicians’ radar, it was only after Elon Musk challenged Alexandre de Moraes that the issue gained traction in Washington. It was Jim Jordan’s position on free speech that made him a key figure in this struggle between two powerful figures from different countries.