Update: After my recent post on Republicans blocking voters on social media in violation of the First Amendment and the US Supreme Court’s recent ruling, AZGOP Chair Gina Swoboda has relented and the AZGOP has begun unblocking elected State Committeemen and Precinct Committeemen. This proves the effectiveness of our strategy. Because of their action, they will no longer be named in the $10 Million Class Action Lawsuit. Will they use their influence to instruct the many other elected Republicans illegally violating the Constitution to do the same? Is a government official or elected politician blocking you? Please report it and we will demand they unblock you on your behalf.
Supreme Court March 15, 2024 Ruling: Social Media Blocking By Elected Officials Exercising their State Authority in Speaking Violates the First Amendment Rights of Constituents – In Violation are AZGOP, Republican, and Democrat Officials – Cease and Desist and Donations Sought in Funding for $10 Million Class Action Lawsuit
The Supreme Court ruled on March 15, 2024, that “such speech by government officials can be attributed to the state, and thus subject to First Amendment scrutiny, only if the person involved has the authority to speak on the state’s behalf and if the official purported to be exercising that authority on the social media platform. The standard set by the court Friday applies to all government officials.” The ruling upholds O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier in which the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the parents, the Garniers who sued the School Board Trustees under 42 U. S. C. §1983, seeking damages and declaratory and injunctive relief for the violation of their First Amendment rights, concluding that the social media pages were a public forum protected by the First Amendment, which meant the government could restrict the speech of voters based on their views. – USA Today
Justice Amy Coney Barrett: “Social accounts viewed as official communication channels allow for lawsuits when they’re used to speak on the state’s behalf.” and “Supreme Court rules public can sue officials who block, mute them on social media” – Post Millennial.
There are clear violations of dozens of Elected State Officials in Arizona; some of which but not all are listed as Defendants below. This is a Cease and Desist and Public Notice of Intent to file a Class Action Lawsuit seeking $10 Million in damages and declaratory and injunctive relief. The goal is to once and for all send a clear message that First Amendment violations of elected officials blocking constituents on social media will not be tolerated. Elected Officials can avoid litigation by IMMEDIATELY unblocking @BrianFerence1 and ANY Constituent that requests it through their office, email, phone, letter, or social media communication.
A Give Send Go Campaign has been launched. Please donate to support the legal expenses needed. We are currently seeking additional lawyers to join the team. When restitution is obtained from the Defendants, all donations will be repaid. Please also immediately contact Elon Musk, Twitter/X, the ACLU, and other Social Media Companies requesting they provide additional funding and lawyers to join the legal team of this Class Action Lawsuit. Please also request that these social media companies immediately implement a policy change banning all elected officials from blocking features.
(Please Contact Me to add a list of Democrat or other Republican elected officials blocking their Constituents on Social Media)
DONATE HERE: givesendgo.com/azfirstamendment
Defendants Blocking One or More Constituents:
Dozens of Arizona Republican voters who voted for Wendy have come forward, complaining that she has violated their First Amendment Rights by unconstitutionally blocking them on X, which has been upheld by 3 Federal Courts. In January 2019, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals confirmed a lower court ruling in Davison v. Loudoun Cty. Bd. of Supervisors that blocking people on social media is viewpoint discrimination in its most natural form. The Court ruled that government officials are “strictly limited” in their ability to regulate private speech in public forums—even in forums they create on social media. Similarly, Leuthy et al. v. LePage (2018), a court ruled that blocking people who disagreed with Governor LePage of Maine, constituted not only viewpoint discrimination, but government censorship as well. Perhaps most importantly, as it involved the nation’s highest office, in July 2019 the Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court decision by ruling unanimously that President Trump’s practice of blocking critics on social media violates the First Amendment. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled “when state actors enter the virtual world and invoke their government status to create a forum” for expression, “the First Amendment enters with them.”
One voter Renata had this to say: “Sen. Rogers represents AZ and she just blocked me and Brian @BrianFerence1 we are her AZ constituents. We voted for her. Why she blocked us? Just for asking legitimate questions about AZ fair and transparent elections status? Or for how she made over 3 millions and then bought a house for $750,000? She was running her campaign on behalf of the AZ People who voted for her because she promised to clean up election fraud in AZ. But instead she got herself a huge house with the hangar in Chandler AZ. Previously she lived in Tempe AZ, but she was saying that she is from Flagstaff AZ. This is UNACCEPTABLE! Arizona Patriots, it is a time to hold ACCOUNTABLE all of these people, including Wendy Rogers.”
She was all talk and then failed us.
— 🎗️💛Dawn (@DawnWM1977) November 19, 2023
You’re not her constituent, you’re her BOSS. I wonder if she decided to breach her contract with the People, before or after she agreed to it. pic.twitter.com/tQMcVvpQZ0
— Jake_M (@Ephesians_6_11) November 20, 2023
She def had a grifter feeling about her….always begging for money, yet never getting anything done!
— Wag the Dog (@LOZ_0110) November 20, 2023
She doesn’t care what her constituents think I guess.
— Barbara Freitchie (@BarbFreitchie) November 20, 2023
Chaplik’s violations were well documented and despite being sent a Cease and Desist on April 19, 2023, he has continued to violate the first Amendment rights of his constituents.
Kerry Baker – PVUSD Board Member
Gina Swoboda, Jeff Dewit and AZGOP – AZGOP Chair Swoboda recently was/is a paid employee/consultant by the Arizona Legislature. The AZGOP is violating the Republican Party Platform, and has no authority whatsoever to block elected State Committeemen and Precinct Committeemen. The AZGOP sets a bad example and exhibits considerable influence over elected officials within the State of Arizona. Plaintiffs have reason to believe that much of the blocking by Elected Officials was initiated by the former AZGOP Chairman Jeff Dewit (who recently resigned over felony bribery accusations) spreading false propaganda and lies.
A Give Send Go Campaign has been launched. Please donate to support the legal expenses needed
The Supreme Court Clarified “Lindke v. Freed (22-611) – A public official who prevents someone from commenting on the official’s social-media page engages in state action under 42 U. S. C. §1983 only if the official both (1) possessed actual authority to speak on the State’s behalf on a particular matter, and (2) purported to exercise that authority when speaking in the relevant social-media posts.”