Originally published September 14, 2023 6:00 pm PDT
In what is being heralded as one of the most significant First Amendment cases in recent U.S. history, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear the case involving The Gateway Pundit (TGP), along with Missouri and Louisiana, against the Biden Administration.
The core of the lawsuit is an accusation that the government has colluded with major tech companies to stifle the freedom of speech of countless American citizens.
An unfiled legal draft from the Department of Justice (DOJ) was recently leaked to media outlets friendly to the department, TGP reports.
This document, identified as a “draft Motion to Stay,” is intended for submission to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Its main purpose is to request a pause on the recent decision by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Previously, the 5th Circuit had upheld a preliminary injunction issued by Judge Terry Doughty of the United States District Court for the District of Louisiana.
This order had commanded several entities, including the Biden White House, the FBI, and the DOJ, to “immediately cease censoring Americans’ speech on the internet.”
However, the 5th Circuit’s decision maintained the injunction’s enforcement only for the White House, the CDC, the FBI, and the Surgeon General.
Other government defendants were excluded from the directive.
This leaked “draft Motion to Stay” has unveiled the DOJ’s intention to challenge and overturn the section of the injunction sustained by the 5th Circuit.
In essence, the DOJ aims to nullify the order that prevents certain governmental bodies, like the White House and the FBI, from engaging in internet censorship activities.
However, this motion also offers Gateway Pundit, along with co-plaintiffs from Missouri, Louisiana, and others, the chance to contest the entirety of the 5th Circuit’s order.
The plaintiffs can now urge the Supreme Court to direct all the government defendants to “immediately stop colluding with big tech to censor speech.”
Joining Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit and the State of Missouri in this case are other plaintiffs such as the State of Louisiana and distinguished epidemiologists like Drs. Jayanta Bhattacharya and Martin Kulldorff, as well as Dr. Aaron Kheriaty and Jill Hines, the TGP report notes.
Legal experts predict that the Supreme Court’s decision in this case will shape the trajectory of First Amendment rights for decades to come.
Observers have said, “Generations of law students will read about this case.”
It’s hoped that the Supreme Court’s verdict will stand firm on upholding the First Amendment in an era where its sanctity is increasingly under scrutiny.
