By Christine Gralow By popular demand on Twitter, below is the downloadable document leaked by a former Tulsi Gabbard presidential campaign volunteer, which contains a list of individuals aggressively targeted (and in some cases harassed and defamed) online by Gabbard campaigners. The list was created and disseminated to campaign volunteers by Scott Gahres (aka Garris), a long-time Gabbard social media advisor.
Gahres disseminated this "Twitter Operatives" Excel spreadsheet in the private "Team Tulsi Online Volunteers" group on Facebook, which currently has about 1,000 members. The official Gabbard presidential campaign refers supporters directly to this Facebook group when they sign up to volunteer. When questioned by Meanwhile in Hawai'i and other outlets, Gabbard's press team tried to distance her from Gahres, stating he is just a volunteer. But Gahres' direct ties to Gabbard are clear in the Facebook group, as well as in his campaign email signature and official Gabbard campaign email address. Gahres, a Hawai'i resident, has in fact done social media work for Gabbard for years on Facebook, Twitter, and Medium. A large majority of people currently working for Gabbard's campaign are either unpaid workers or freelancers. (See 4-24-19 Daily Beast article.) In the Facebook group, Gahres has hosted regular "Twitter strategy" conference calls and has instructed volunteers to target specific Twitter accounts that have posted information unflattering to Gabbard. Gahres' instructions to Gabbard's online campaign volunteers include blocking accounts on the list, "then reply(ing) so they cannot reply to you." Gahres also instructed campaign volunteers to create multiple accounts and "use one account to talk to other account and create hype and conversation." Gahres' apparent social media hit list includes journalists, LGBTQ rights activists, Syrian democracy activists, Indian citizens critical of Gabbard's ties to Modi, and Native Hawaiian leaders. Topping the list is Intercept reporter Mehdi Hasan, who has been critical of Gabbard and currently has over 647,000 followers on Twitter. At least six accounts on Gahres' target list are currently suspended by Twitter, including @riotwomennn and @bravenakblog. The "Twitter Operatives" spreadsheet and information from the closed Facebook group were leaked to Meanwhile in Hawai'i by a former campaign volunteer who wishes not to be named for fear of retaliation.
Disclosure: Christine Gralow is on the #TulsiGabbardEnemyList.
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