FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Elvis Chan, a central figure in the agency’s pre-2020 election coordination with social media platforms, has been placed on terminal leave and is no longer accessing agency devices, according to investigative reporter Breanna Morello. Citing sources familiar with the matter, Morello confirmed that Chan has been inactive for over a month despite still being listed in his position on LinkedIn.
Chan played a key role as a liaison between the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force and major tech companies, facilitating the bureau’s efforts to identify and suppress what it labeled as election-related “misinformation.” His work involved over 30 meetings with platforms like Twitter in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election.
Chan’s role came under renewed congressional scrutiny following the release of the Twitter Files in 2023, which revealed the extent of the FBI’s behind-the-scenes efforts to influence content moderation. In December 2023, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) requested a transcribed interview with Chan, citing his direct involvement in suppressing accurate information about Hunter Biden’s laptop.
Jordan’s letter detailed how the FBI had verified the laptop’s contents a year prior to the election but still misled tech platforms into believing it was part of a foreign disinformation campaign. This led platforms to censor the New York Post’s October 2020 story, which detailed emails linking Hunter Biden to influence-peddling schemes involving his father, then-candidate Joe Biden.
Despite its ongoing knowledge, the FBI ceased communication with platforms just as they were questioning the story’s validity, effectively allowing misinformation warnings to persist. Jordan characterized this move as “an institutional decision” that directly influenced the 2020 election narrative.
As Chan exits under a cloud of controversy, questions remain about accountability for federal interference in the online information space during a critical election period.
