Federalist Radio Hour A Long-Awaited Free Speech Victory
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Mar 27, 2026 John Vecchione, senior litigation counsel at the New Civil Liberties Alliance who led major First Amendment suits against government-driven social media censorship. He walks through the Missouri v. Biden consent decree, discovery revelations about government-platform contacts, and efforts to monitor and enforce limits on officials pressuring platforms. They also discuss depositions, reputational harms, and long-term implications for free speech litigation.
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Whole Of Government Pressure On Social Media
- Government used a whole-of-government approach to pressure social media to suppress speech.
- Discovery showed hundreds of government contacts and special portals telling platforms what to downgrade, proving coordinated interference.
How The Case Began From Missing Posts
- Janine Younis and scientists like Jay Bhattacharya noticed coordinated disappearance of anti-lockdown posts.
- Initial Ohio suit was dismissed for standing, prompting Missouri AG John Sauer to recruit NCLA and expand the case into Missouri and Louisiana actions.
Subpoenas Exposed Hidden Government Contacts
- Subpoenas revealed social media received far more government contacts than agencies admitted.
- Platforms forwarded lists showing 125 government contacts versus the government's ~20, exposing hidden scale of intervention.
