Jen Psaki ordered to comply with lawsuit over Biden admin’s alleged ‘collusion’ with social media platforms

A federal Judge ruled on Monday that former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki must comply with a subpoena and offer deposition in a lawsuit which alleges that Biden administration colluded with Big Tech to censor speech.

According to Fox News, Judge Terry Doughty rejected Psaki’s bid to block a court-ordered deposition, saying in his ruling that there is public interest in “determining whether First Amendment free speech rights have been suppressed.”

Psaki previously contested the deposition in a Virginia court where she lives. However, U.S. Magistrate Judge Ivan Davis referred the case back to Doughty.

The Department of Justice has supported Psaki in contesting the order.

“Ms. Psaki’s effort to eliminate or delay her deposition in this action had failed because of the swift action of two judges in widely dispersed courts, one in Virginia and one in Louisiana, and by the implausibility of her reasons for not testifying as to Federal efforts to censure social media that made quick resolution possible,” said John J. Vecchione, senior counsel for the New Civil Liberties Alliance.

The lawsuit, filed by Republican Attorneys General Eric Schmitt of Missouri and Jeff Landry of Louisiana, accused senior Biden administration officials of working with social media platforms to censor certain political beliefs “under the guise of combating misinformation.”

Another senior officials named in the lawsuit is Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the White House’s COVID-19 response.

“After finding documentation of a collusive relationship between the Biden Administration and social media companies to censor free speech, we immediately filed a motion to get these officials under oath,” Schmitt previously said of the lawsuit, Fox reported.

He added, “It is high time we shine a light on this censorship enterprise and force these officials to come clean to the American people, and this ruling will allow us to do just that. We’ll keep pressing for the truth.”