In an ongoing case regarding a censorship trial, Missouri v. Biden, in the Western District of Louisiana, Federal Judge Terry A. Doughty, issued a temporary injunction on Independence Day, blocking members of the Biden administration from having further contact with social media companies. This temporary injunction appears to be preemptive in nature with U.S. elections on the horizon.
Judge Doughty, is presiding over the case brought by Louisiana and Missouri, challenging federal efforts to block alleged misinformation about the coronavirus and elections on social media. The case alleges that the federal government engaged in censoring free speech by using private companies to carry out actions that the government itself cannot take under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
As has been revealed by multiple sources, the case centers around the allegation, that the government weaponized social media platforms and stifled scientific debate, in an effort to help Democrats and hurt Republicans in recent elections. Specifically, this case addresses the Biden administration’s collusion with tech companies, that has demonstrated an unapologetic boldness. This suit seeks to establish the unconstitutional nature of their collaboration with the media - as they seemingly work around the law.
On Tuesday, according to a report by the Washington Post-
“The injunction came in response to a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, who allege that government officials went too far in their efforts to encourage social media companies to address posts that they worried could contribute to vaccine hesitancy during the pandemic or upend elections. The Trump-appointed judge’s move could upend years of efforts to enhance coordination between the government and social media companies.”
“The injunction was a victory for the state attorneys general, who have accused the Biden administration of enabling a “sprawling federal ‘Censorship Enterprise’” to encourage tech giants to remove politically unfavorable viewpoints and speakers, and for conservatives who’ve accused the government of suppressing their speech. In their filings, the attorneys general alleged the actions amount to “the most egregious violations of the First Amendment in the history of the United States of America.”…
“In his order, the judge made some exceptions for communications between the government officials and the companies, including to warn them of national security threats or criminal activity.”
-The Washington Post
Previously,Judge Doughty ruled that former White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki could be deposed in the case. At the time, in a report by Fox News, it stated -
“Judge Terry Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana on Monday rejected a motion by attorneys for Psaki to block a court-ordered deposition, and said there is public interest in ‘determining whether First Amendment free speech rights have been suppressed,'”
-Fox News
That the Biden administration, specifically the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), who reportedly met with media outlets on a regular basis, to strategize, how best to control what they called disinformation, is frightening. The government was literally suppressing free speech to form the narrative that the American people could hear.