Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Important Win in Censorship Lawsuit Against Biden Administration
May 8, 2024 | Austin, TX
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured an important victory in an ongoing lawsuit against the Biden Administration for unlawfully censoring American media companies. The federal government sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, but a federal district court judge denied the Biden Administration’s request and ordered expedited discovery.
In December 2023, Attorney General Paxton sued the U.S. Department of State, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and other government officials over their conspiracy to censor, deplatform, and demonetize media outlets disfavored by the federal government. Through its “Global Engagement Center,” which was only authorized to counter foreign propaganda, the State Department actively intervened in the news-media market to limit the reach and business viability of domestic news organizations by funding censorship technology and private censorship enterprises. The agency unlawfully weaponized the center to violate the First Amendment and suppress Americans’ constitutionally protected speech. The Daily Wire and The Federalist joined Texas in the lawsuit and the New Civil Liberties Alliance is serving as co-counsel.
“The Biden Administration made a reprehensible attempt to censor the American press with funding intended to monitor foreign propaganda, aiming to repress viewpoints the federal government disagreed with,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Abusing taxpayer money, Biden repurposed a government agency into a censorship apparatus. It must stop, and I am proud to lead the Nation’s fight to save the First Amendment.”