Devin Nunes To Resign California Congressional Seat, Become CEO Of Donald Trump’s Social Media Company

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) will resign his congressional seat at the end of the year to become CEO of Donald Trump’s social media and technology company.

Nunes, a staunch defender of the former president and critic of Twitter and traditional media, will be CEO of Trump Media and Technology Group, which is launching the Truth Social platform.

“The time has come to reopen the Internet and allow for the free flow of ideas and expression without censorship,” Nunes said in a statement. “The United States of America made the dream of the Internet a reality and it will be an American company that restores the dream. I’m humbled and honored President Trump has asked me to lead the mission and the world class team that will deliver on this promise.”

Trump’s social media startup would be financed via a merger with a special purpose acquisition corporation, or SPAC, called Digital World Acquisition Corp. But that company revealed in a filing on Monday that the Securities and Exchange Commission has launched an inquiry into its transaction with Trump Media and Technology Group. DWAC said that the investigation “does not mean that the SEC has concluded that anyone violated the law or that the SEC has a negative opinion of DWAC or any person, event, or security.”

Like Trump, Nunes has been particularly litigious when it comes to suing media outlets over their coverage of him. A lawsuit against CNN was tossed out by a judge earlier this year. Nunes also sued Esquire and reporter Ryan Lizza over a story he wrote about his family daily farm. Although much of that lawsuit has been dismissed, an appeals court recently left open the question of whether Nunes still had a claim against Lizza for a subsequent tweet that linked to the article.

In a statement, the former president said that Nunes “understands that we must stop the liberal media and Big Tech from destroying the freedoms that make America great.”

Nunes, the top ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, has defended Trump amid Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and later during the 2019 impeachment proceedings over the then-president’s phone call with the president of Ukraine. Trump awarded Nunes the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January, just before his White House term ended.

In a letter to constituents announcing his resignation, Nunes wrote that he had been presented with a “new opportunity to fight for the most important issues I believe in.” But he did not elaborate, and the announcement of his new role at Trump’s company was announced soon after.

Nunes faced running in a potentially bluer district next year because of redistricting. He has been a House member since 2003.

More to come.