State Department correspondent Benjamin Hall previews his upcoming interview with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and reflects on his return to the State Department after being wounded in Ukraine. However, the State Department is now facing a lawsuit for allegedly funding a “censorship regime” that targets conservative news sites. The lawsuit, filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), accuses the State Department of funding and promoting censorship technologies and private censorship enterprises that blacklist conservative outlets such as The Federalist and The Daily Wire. This action negatively impacts the platforms’ ability to circulate and distribute their publications to both current and potential audiences.
According to the lawsuit, the State Department’s technologies are intentionally destroying the ability of conservative sites to obtain advertisers. The lawsuit argues that the State Department has no statutory authority to fund or promote censorship technology or censorship enterprises that target the American press. It further highlights that such actions are in violation of the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
The State Department’s use of tax dollars to fund the silencing of a segment of the American press is deemed “appalling and terrifying” by Margot Cleveland, counsel at NCLA. Cleveland emphasizes that a free and open press is foundational to the constitutional Republic, and the Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press in the First Amendment.
The lawsuit claims that the State Department uses its Global Engagement Center (GEC) to finance the development and promotion of censorship technology and enterprises, including NewsGuard and the Global Disinformation Index. These entities generate blacklists of American news outlets deemed risky or unreliable, aiming to discredit and demonetize disfavored press while redirecting money and audiences to news organizations that publish favored viewpoints.
Mark Chenoweth, president and general counsel at NCLA, asserts that the federal government cannot indirectly do what the First Amendment directly forbids. The alleged chilling censorship machinations described in the lawsuit are said to frighten all liberty-loving Americans.
The GEC’s mission is to counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining the policies, security, or stability of the United States and its allies. However, the lawsuit argues that Congress limited the GEC’s purpose to combating “foreign” disinformation and explicitly forbade the use of funds for purposes other than countering foreign propaganda that threatens national security.
The NCLA lawsuit claims that the State Department’s actions are in violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It highlights the irony of the Disinformation Governance Board operating within the State Department, cutting off advertising dollars and viewership from conservative media outlets. The State Department has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on Tuesday. Stay updated with the latest political news and exclusive interviews from the 2024 campaign trail by subscribing to our newsletter.
