A tech investor reportedly met with senior Facebook officials last month on behalf of GOP mega-donor Rebekah Mercer and pitched the company on an independent investigation into Cambridge Analytica and the 2016 presidential election.
The March 20 meeting, reported Tuesday by BuzzFeed News, came after it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica harvested the data of millions of Facebook users that it used to create "psychographic" profiling tools underpinning its work for the Trump campaign.
The investor, Matt Michelsen, confirmed the meeting to BuzzFeed, and said Facebook officials initially seemed open to the idea of an investigation, but later backed away from that approach.
Mercer's father, billionaire Republican donor Robert Mercer, provided funding for Cambridge Analytica. The Mercers were major backers of President Trump
Donald John TrumpInfowars' Alex Jones blasts Trump over airstrikes: 'He's crapping all over us' McCain to Trump: Airstrikes alone won't achieve objectives in Syria Top general: US did not notify Russia on Syria targets MORE's 2016 campaign.
Michelsen told BuzzFeed that the Mercers felt that an independent investigation into the consulting firm and its activity on Facebook would prove that they did nothing wrong in funding Cambridge Analytica.
A Facebook source also confirmed the meeting to BuzzFeed, but said that it was largely done as a formality and was not seen as a significant encounter.
According to BuzzFeed, Michelsen and his family were in Colorado with Rebekah Mercer and her family when the revelations about Cambridge Analytica's data collection came to light.
Michelsen said he then left to meet with Facebook officials in California, and that Mercer had asked him to pitch the idea of an independent investigation to the company.
Facebook has come under fire for its handling of its users' data following the Cambridge Analytica revelations. The social media company's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Elliot ZuckerbergOvernight Cybersecurity: Lawmakers press FBI chief on encryption | Cyber world flocks to RSA conference | Defense contractors face mounting cyber threats Let's hold Facebook to the same standards as other players in the industry Dems: Cambridge Analytica CEO misled Congress in testimony MORE, testified before two Senate committees on Tuesday, and is expected to appear before a House panel on Wednesday.
