Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki must sit for a deposition in a free speech case alleging the Biden administration colluded with Big Tech to censor content, a judge ruled Monday.
Judge Terry Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana denied Psaki’s motion to quash a subpoena compelling her deposition Monday, spurning her arguments that it amounted to an undue burden. Psaki had unsuccessfully sought to evade Doughty overseeing her motion to quash, but that endeavor flopped last week.
JEN PSAKI DEALT A BLOW IN FREE SPEECH COURT CASE
“As discussed, Psaki’s reasons for having to prepare for and give the deposition are not undue burdens. Second, because there is no undue burden, there is no irreparable harm to Psaki,” Doughty wrote.
Psaki’s legal team argued she had nothing more to offer the two Republican attorneys general than the documents and evidence they already amassed. Knowing that Doughty, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, approved the deposition request against her, Psaki’s team sought to nix the subpoena in a federal court in Virginia, but U.S. Magistrate Ivan Davis kicked that case back to Doughty and cast doubts on her arguments in a ruling last Friday.
Last month, Doughty approved a request from two Republican attorneys general to depose Psaki, alongside Dr. Anthony Fauci and a handful of other Biden administration officials. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry pursued deposition for a free speech case they filed back in May.
The duo alleged that the Biden administration colluded with Big Tech companies to censor speech regarding election integrity, COVID-19, and other pressing matters. They contend that the alleged collusion was an infringement upon the First Amendment rights of regular Americans.
Psaki drew outrage from conservatives last year when she stated that the administration was “flagging problematic posts for Facebook that spread disinformation.”
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Both attorneys general have been keen on learning more about the content flagging apparatus in the Biden administration.
“Our lawsuit is exposing collusion between Big Government and Big Tech to censor free speech at the highest levels of government,” Schmitt tweeted over the weekend.
