The Alabama operation is among the first examples to come to light of such underhanded methods on social media in American politics. In 2017, through a fund called Investing in Us, Mr. Hoffman gave money to a small company, American Engagement Technologies. On Saturday, Facebook shut down five accounts, belonging to Mr. Morgan and other unnamed individuals, in response to their use of “inauthentic” operations on the platform. Senator Jones and Democratic Party officials have said they were unaware of the social media tactics and denounced them. Mr. Jones has called for investigations by the Justice Department and the Federal Election Commission — a call Mr. Hoffman joined on Wednesday.

Source: New York Times December 27, 2018 00:33 UTC