@ne Hundred Sixteenth Congress Committee on Homeland Security ‘HS. House of Representatives ‘Washington, BE 20515 August 6, 2019 Jim Watkins (Owner, Schan c/o Laughlin Associates (Registered Agent) 9120 Double Diamond Pkwy Reno, NV 89521 Delivered via mail, e-mail, and Twitter Dear Mr. Watkins: {As the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, we write in the wake of the August 3, 2019 domestic terrorist attack in El Paso, Texas, This attack resulted in the needless deaths of 22 people and the senseless wounding of 24 others. According to media report, the killer wrote a ‘manifesta describing his anti-immigrant, white supremacist beliefs and appears to have posted it to your ‘website, Schan, minutes prior to the shooting,! Regrettably, this is at least the third act of white supremacist extremist violence linked to your website this, year. In April, the killer who murdered one Jewish worshiper and wounded three others ata synagogue in Poway, California, appears to have posted an anti-Semitic and racist open letter on 8chan shortly before carying out the mass shooting? In March, the killer who murdered 51 Muslim worshipers and wounded 49 more at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, appears to have posted on &chan a 74-page manifesto outlining his racist, white supremacist, anti-immigrant beliefS, as well as a Tink to a Facebook livestream of the massacre.’ On August 5, 2019, your network service provider, Cloudilare, called 8chan a “cesspool of hate” before suspending service.’ Fredrick Brennan, Schan’s founder, called the site “a complete negative to everybody ‘except the users that are there,” and called for Schan to be shut down.’ Experts have described Schan as a platform for amplifying extremist views, leading to the radicalization ofits users "Kevin Roose Schon Megaphone for Camo, Has Gone Dak ‘ha se Site Dow, 'Sap is Creat, NEW YORK TINES, Au, 42018, Mi wn myer conv SURD technology shape tog-antest ob Gags, Calfrma police snestiate hated Scar mato that could lnk ymagogue shooting o mosgue antack, WASHNOTON EXAMINER, Ae 25,2019, pss susbingbssanier somalia nits fils Stasis Ketel aad Jon Gash, New Zealand masque shower ia wnat who hes migrant, dames a deo eva ASSOCIATED Pas anlabde ir ChOCAGO TRIBUNE), Mar. 15,2019, ips hicanichuns.con/antion-anldst-mosau- kwh prem 20190513son un, $vtete Pees, Terminating Serce or chan, CLOUDFLARE BLOG, Aug. 5,219, MipJnew ox loud comeing evi vs Rove Sc MegapoejorCarmen Ha ove Dark ‘Sha he Ste Bow 'Say hs Creo, Nw Yon Ts, Au. 2019, Mins Frenne soma SRDS hecinclgy cha chooine mans ‘Stee, Kosa Greeblat CEO ofthe AM-Defimation League [Shan has] become a Sounding board where people Sareea, ant where thee kine of eoopies are amplified and expanded on, ad ulimate, people are rained ar." se ao Rober Evans Tgnre The Poway Syagogue Shot Manges: Pay Ateton To Schon po Baar, BELLINEAT, Ap 28,2019, ("The overarching gl of po the physi woe)Americans deserve to know what, if anything, you, as the owner and operator, are doing to address the proliferation of extremist content an 8chan. ‘To that end, the Commistes on Homeland Security respectfully requests your presence to provide testimony regarding Schan's efforts to investigate and mitigate the proliferation of extremist content, including white supremacist extremist content, on your website. Please provide the Committee with current physical contact information for you or your authorized representative in the United States so that you can receive communications from the Committee. The ‘Committee can be reached at chs. inbox’@mail,house,gov. Sincerely, BENNIE G. THOMPSON Mike ROGERS Chairman Ranking Member