A pro-free speech group is suing Oregon officials to stop an attempt to undermine online free speech.
Twelve individuals, including lawmakers, filed a motion for a preliminary injunction order to block the Oregon governor, secretary of state and elections director from signing a contract with censorship vendors. The contract would “identify and mitigate harmful information online,” typical leftist catchwords for censoring free speech. The group aims to prevent what they call a “blatant violation of the First Amendment,” according to the lawmakers’ motion.
“Plaintiffs move for a preliminary injunction order prohibiting Defendants from surveiling and/or suppressing speech concerning alleged misinformation, disinformation, or malinformation,” the motion stated. The plaintiffs specifically requested an order stopping any “performance of work pursuant to the Secretary of State’s Office Request for Proposal titled ‘Election False Information Solution.’” The latter proposal has reportedly not come into effect but would target any criticism of the state’s election system.
Gov. Tina Kotek, Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade and Elections Director Molly Woon are the defendants in the lawsuit. Heading into an election year, Oregon officials appear to be trying to control the narrative around voting and elections. Would the contested contract, if it went into effect, constitute election interference?
According to the motion, “Oregon seeks to sign a contract to identify and mitigate harmful information online as it relates to elections (mis-, dis-, and mal- information, or ‘MDM’).” But the pro-free speech group argued that the targeted speech “is only harmful in the sense that it damages the credibility of Oregon’s repeated claims that its elections are ‘safe and secure.’”
The plaintiffs continued in the motion, “Like authoritarians since time immemorial, Oregon seeks to suppress and silence those who disagree with its message, in violation of the First Amendment.” But the group is challenging this attempted anti-free speech effort: “The State of Oregon only exists to serve the people, for whom it works. Oregon is prohibited from interfering in the public’s speech criticizing Oregon’s elections or any other matter.”
Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand government agencies and Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on so-called hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
