MRC Free Speech America update summary: The Biden administration is no more, and with it went its efforts to target Elon Musk. A federal court in the Northern District of California denied the SEC’s request to sanction Musk. After President Donald Trump’s inauguration, USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong was fired, but "refused" to leave the building. After being escorted out by security, she filed suit demanding her reinstatement — the case is pending. The SEC’s suit against Musk’s Twitter acquisition remains active, but the lead attorney has resigned. The FCC currently lacks a quorum and cannot yet give Starlink its $855 million award back.
The following article is a supplement to the MRC Report: The Biden Administration Waged War on Free Speech with 57 Censorship Initiatives.
Initiative #54: The Targeting of Elon Musk
Type of Censorship: Direct Action
Agencies Involved:
- Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Office of the Inspector General
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)
Summary:
After businessman and futurist Elon Musk purchased Twitter, renamed it X and declared it a haven for “free speech,” the NLRB tried to censor his actions directly (see Initiative #53). Other Biden administration agencies tried a different tact: targeting Musk’s other businesses in the hopes he would abandon his First Amendment pursuit.
An MRC report detailed the various methods the Biden administration used to (unsuccessfully) coerce Musk into forcing censorship. The agencies baselessly targeting Musk included the Federal Communications Commission, the Securities & Exchange Commission and even the Department of Agriculture.
Key Individuals:
- Gary Gensler, SEC Chair
- Anna Gomez, FCC Commissioner
- Gurbir Grewal, SEC Director of the Division of Enforcement
- Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC Chair
- Geoffrey Starks, FCC Commissioner
- Phyllis Fong, USDA Inspector General
