Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry sued the Biden administration in May, 2022, contending that the White House – and especially Fauci as the Chief Medical Advisor to the President, was in essence creating Facebook and Twitter armies from the Biden administration, and suppressing information which criticized lockdowns, mask orders, vaccine mandates, and similar measures.
The case argued that, according to Norwood v. Harrison and other Supreme Court decisions, the government can't employ a private firm to perform a task that the Constitution prohibits the government to directly.
Louisiana and Missouri argue that the Biden administration is trying to block the free speech regarding the coronavirus and is doing it by colluding with technology giants, Big Tech, who became part of the government and therefore, they must adhere to the First Amendment.
The case was brought within the Western District of Louisiana to Judge Terry Doughty, an originalist and textualist chosen by President Trump. Schmitt and Landry have pursued with vigor both their respective clients, the White House, and the Big Tech giants for a preliminary order.
On March 21st, Judge Doughty granted an application for discovery made by Schmitt and Landry, directing Fauci, the former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, and the Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, as well as others, to be under oath at least seven hours and answer hundreds of questions on all communications within the Biden administration, as well as officials' interactions via Facebook and Twitter regarding COVID-19.
