Biden administration scores legal victory for ‘Orwellian Ministry of Truth’
The Biden administration Friday secured a temporary court order allowing it to continue operating what a judge this month called an “Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth’”.
On July 4th, US District Judge Terry Doughty ordered the Biden administration to halt its “censorship enterprise” with social media companies which was violating the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans.
According to evidence brought by the Louisiana and Missouri attorneys general in the lawsuit last year, the White House not only successfully suppressed speech on Facebook and Twitter, but officials even sought to control Americans’ private WhatsApp messages concerning the COVID-19 vaccines.
White House personnel also worked with tech companies to censor speech on other issues including “climate change,” totalitarian gender ideology, Hunter Biden’s laptop, abortion, gas prices and even mockery of Joe Biden.
In his order granting a preliminary injunction against the Biden administration this month, Judge Doughty stated that “the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth’” and may be responsible for “the most massive attack against free speech in United States’ history.”
"The Plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits in establishing that the Government has used its power to silence the opposition,” wrote the judge. “Opposition to COVID-19 vaccines; opposition to COVID-19 masking and lockdowns; opposition to the lab-leak theory of COVID-19; opposition to the validity of the 2020 election; opposition to President Biden’s policies; statements that the Hunter Biden laptop story was true; and opposition to policies of the government officials in power. All were suppressed. It is quite telling that each example or category of suppressed speech was conservative in nature. This targeted suppression of conservative ideas is a perfect example of viewpoint discrimination of political speech. American citizens have the right to engage in free debate about the significant issues affecting the country."
The order enjoined Biden officials and agencies from meeting with social media executives to orchestrate information suppression, effectively outlawing the regular censorship meetings between the two parties.
But the Biden administration appealed the injunction, which it said would “cause the government and thus the public to suffer irreparable injury”. On Friday, a three-judge panel on the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the Biden administration’s request and placed a temporary stay on the judge’s order pending appeal. Federal officials may continue their censorship activities “until further orders” are given. Oral arguments have been expedited to start August 10th.
