Trump administration threatens Wikipedia's operator
Ed Martin, who was nominated by President Donald Trump as acting U.S. Attorney General for the District of Columbia, has sent a letter to
Exclusive: Trump's DC Prosecutor Threatens Wikipedia's Tax-Exempt Status
https://www.thefp.com/p/trump-prosecutor-threatens-wikipedia
Trump DOJ goon threats Wikipedia | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/news/656720/ed-martin-dc-attorney-wikipedia-nonprofit-threat
Under Section 501C of the Internal Revenue Code, tax-exempt organizations must engage in activities 'exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, or public safety testing, literary, or educational purposes.' However, Martin argues that Wikipedia 'allows foreign actors to manipulate information and spread propaganda.' Specifically, he pointed out that Wikipedia has altered 'historical events' and 'other matters related to the national security and national interest of the United States.'
Martin has asked the Wikimedia Foundation to answer questions such as what efforts it is making to protect its citizens from propaganda and what efforts it is making to eliminate 'targeted edits by foreign influence agents' on topics that alter or rewrite history. Martin has asked the Wikimedia Foundation to respond by May 15, 2025.
In response, Jacob Rogers, deputy general counsel at the Wikimedia Foundation, said in a statement to The Verge, 'Wikipedia content is governed by three core content policies : neutral viewpoint , verifiability , and no original research . These exist to ensure that information is presented as accurately, fairly, and neutrally as possible. The entire content moderation process is overseen by approximately 260,000 volunteers and is transparent by being publicly available for anyone to see. That's why we welcome the opportunity to explain how Wikipedia works, and we plan to do so in the appropriate forums.'
Martin has repeatedly made unfounded legal threats against media organizations, reports The Verge. In fact, Martin has sent letters to The New England Journal of Medicine , the world's longest-running continuously published medical journal published by the Massachusetts College of Physicians and Surgeons, the respiratory medical journal CHEST Journal , and Obstetrics and Gynecology , a scientific journal related to obstetrics and gynecology , accusing them of being ' partisan in their scientific debate.'
Regarding Martin's criticism of Wikipedia, The Verge pointed out that 'it is very similar to the tendency of right-wingers to attack Wikipedia.' In 2024, Elon Musk called on his supporters to 'stop donating to Wikipedia' and referred to Wikipedia as 'an extension of propaganda by traditional media.'
Also, in January 2025, it was revealed that the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank that leads Project 2025 , had created a presentation containing a series of slides aimed at targeting Wikipedia editors.
In response to these developments, the Wikimedia Foundation is creating tools to protect the identities of its editors, and Wikimedia Foundation CEO Mariana Iskander is reported to have told the community that 'the threat of both regulation and litigation is increasing around the world.'
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