Former President Obama’s Former AG Eric Holder Condemns 1st Amendment Verdict Against US Officials as ‘Very Stupid’
Eric Holder, the former attorney general under President Obama, criticized a federal judge’s recent order that restricts the Biden administration from communicating with social media companies as part of alleged government attempts to suppress free speech protected by the First Amendment. Holder expressed his disapproval on Wednesday, describing the order as both foolish and potentially risky.
Holder shared an article from The New York Times that discussed the decision. The opening paragraph of the article suggests that the ruling “could limit efforts to combat false and misleading narratives about the coronavirus pandemic and other topics.” However, it is precisely these alleged government actions to clamp down on free speech that the preliminary injunction addresses.
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The order, issued by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty in Louisiana, who was appointed by former President Trump, imposes limitations on specific Biden administration officials. They are prohibited from engaging in any form of communication, such as meetings, emails, calls, letters, or texts, with social media companies. The purpose of this restriction is to prevent them from exerting any pressure, encouragement, or inducement that would lead to the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech on social media platforms.
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However, it’s important to note that the preliminary injunction does not prevent Biden administration officials from communicating with social media companies in cases involving criminal activity, national security threats, efforts to suppress voting, illegal campaign contributions, cyber-attacks on election infrastructure, or foreign attempts to influence elections.
The order mentions several government agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the Department of Justice, the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the State Department.
The decision on Tuesday also specifically identifies certain employees, many of whom hold positions related to digital engagement or communications.
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The order restricts communication between social media companies and notable officials or heads of departments, including HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, NIAID Director Dr. Hugh Auchincloss, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
It is important to note that this injunction is not the final ruling in the case. The lawsuit was filed by U.S. Senator and former Missouri Attorney General Eric Holder Schmitt, along with Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, both Republicans. They argue that the Biden administration has entered a stage of “open collusion with social media companies” to suppress certain speakers, viewpoints, and content on social media platforms, under the guise of combating so-called ‘disinformation,’ ‘misinformation,’ and ‘malformation.'”