Dr. Anthony Fauci today (yesterday – ed) faced questions from Attorneys General Eric Schmitt (Missouri) and Jeff Landry (Louisiana) in their lawsuit against the federal government for allegedly colluding with Big Tech platforms to censor content critical of COVID-19 vaccines and countermeasures.
Fauci sat for a deposition one day after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted the depositions of three other Biden administration officials.
In a statement released Tuesday in advance of Fauci’s deposition, Schmitt said:
“Tomorrow, along with my colleague from Louisiana, my Office and I will depose Dr. Anthony Fauci in our lawsuit against the Biden Administration for allegedly colluding with social media companies to censor freedom of speech.
“Since we filed our landmark lawsuit, we have uncovered documents and discovery that show clear coordination between the Biden Administration and social media companies on censoring speech, but we’re not done yet. We plan to get answers on behalf of the American people. Stay tuned.”
The statement also quoted Jeff Landry:
“We all deserve to know how involved Dr. Fauci was in the censorship of the American people during the COVID pandemic; tomorrow, I hope to find out.
“And I will continue fighting for the truth as it relates to Big Government colluding with Big Tech to stifle free speech.”
Schmitt and Landry sued President Biden, Fauci and others on May 5. New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonprofit group representing outspoken critics of COVID-19 vaccines and countermeasures, including Drs. Jayanta Bhattacharya, Martin Kulldorff, Aaron Kheriaty and also Jill Hines, joined the lawsuit in August, as did Jim Hoft, founder and editor-in-chief of The Gateway Pundit.
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According to the complaint, government officials colluded with and coerced Big Tech and social media platforms to “suppress disfavored speakers, viewpoints and content” relating to COVID-19.
Several officials named in the suit, including former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, argued they shouldn’t be required to be deposed, but a federal judge on Monday denied a request to quash Psaki’s subpoena.
The same judge, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, on Oct. 21 ordered Fauci and other government officials to provide depositions under oath.
In addition to Fauci and Psaki, other government officials slated to be deposed include:
- FBI Supervisory Special Agent Elvis Chan
- Carol Crawford, chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Digital Media Branch
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly
- White House Director of Digital Strategy Rob Flaherty
- Daniel Kimmage, an official at the State Department’s Global Engagement Center
- U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy
Two lower-level officials were listed as alternates: Lauren Protentis of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in place of Easterly, and former White House COVID-19 adviser Andrew Slavitt in place of Flaherty.
A previous ruling had forced the above-named individuals to provide written testimony.
Judge rejects ‘self-serving blanket denials’
In his Oct. 21 ruling, Judge Doughty agreed with the plaintiffs that Fauci’s prior “self-serving blanket denials”regarding his role in censoring certain types of content and viewpoints on social media could not be taken at face value, necessitating a deposition.
Fauci challenged the order to sit for a deposition, arguing the communications in question are protected by executive privilege. But Judge Doughty ordered Fauci to turn over the documents within 21 days and to answer the plaintiffs’ questions in full.
Landry and Schmitt filed a request for depositions Oct. 10. In a statement released at the time by Schmitt, he said:
“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.
“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.”
Depositions of three Biden administration officials on hold
In an order issued Monday, the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit temporarily halted the scheduled depositions of Easterly, Flaherty and Murthy.
According to Politico, the three-judge panel unanimously found Judge Doughty had erred in approving the depositions without first examining whether there were “other means” of obtaining the information the plaintiffs are seeking.
The court sent the case back to Doughty for further review. According to the order:
“Thus, before any of the depositions may go forward, the district court must analyze whether the information sought can be obtained through less intrusive, alternative means, such as further written discovery or depositions of lower-ranking officials.
“Written findings as to the availability and sufficiency of alternatives need to be entered.”
In a statement provided to The Defender by Landry’s office, Landry said, “These developments do not change my pursuit of the truth. We respect the court’s decision and will continue in the discovery phase of this case.”
Thursday’s court order came after lawyers for the government argued the plaintiffs should not have the ability to depose the three officials in question, on the basis that they are high-ranking government officials, and that the depositions would “unavoidably distract” them from “their important and time-sensitive duties,” which would “cause irreparable harm.”
However, the federal government’s motion for a partial stay of Judge Doughty’s deposition order was denied. The Nov. 21 order stated, “We make no ruling on the petition … at this time.”
Easterly, Flaherty and Murthy were scheduled to be deposed in early December.
On Wednesday Judge Doughty, in a separate ruling, ordered Psaki to sit for a deposition and rejected an attempt to shield FBI Agent Chan from answering questions under oath.
Plaintiffs in the case argued that none of the officials were “high-ranking,” and Judge Doughty agreed, finding that the “burdens” the officials would face as a result of sitting for depositions were outweighed by the necessity of gathering more information regarding the allegations in question prior to ruling on a motion for a preliminary injunction.
According to the 5th Circuit’s order:
“It is not enough, as the district court found, that these officials may have ‘personal knowledge’ about certain communications.
“That knowledge may be shared widely or have only marginal importance in comparison to the ‘potential burden’ imposed on the deponent.”
According to the court, the government already produced “extensive written discovery.” The government claims that these documents do not reveal any violations of the First Amendment, while the plaintiffs claim otherwise.
Politico also reported that the 5th Circuit asked Judge Doughty to consider ruling on the overall viability of the lawsuit before allowing the depositions to proceed.
The 5th Circuit said Judge Doughty should have not issued a ruling regarding the depositions until the courts decided on the government’s motion to dismiss — even though that motion was withdrawn after plaintiffs filed an amended complaint and the government has not filed a new motion to dismiss.
According to Politico, the 5th Circuit’s order is not final: Judge Doughty may still decide, based on a newly clarified analysis, that depositions of Easterly, Flaherty and Murthy are needed.
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Politico also reported that the 5th Circuit’s order may strengthen efforts by Psaki and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to halt her deposition.
At a recent hearing, Psaki’s lawyers claimed there is no evidence she had met or had been in contact with any social media executives regarding purported “misinformation,” although she did express critical remarks about social media platforms during White House press briefings.
In his Nov. 21 order, Judge Doughty rejected that claim, writing:
“Despite the fact that Psaki is a former high-ranking official, the potential burden upon Psaki was outweighed by the need to determine whether free speech had been suppressed.”
Previously, a federal judge in Virginia rejected the arguments made by Psaki and the DOJ, including that sitting for a deposition would place an “undue burden” on her, taking her away from her family and her new job at MSNBC for several days.
Magistrate Judge Ivan Davis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia passed the issue to Judge Doughty. Davis dismissed Psaki’s claims, arguing that Psaki and the DOJ were attempting an “end-run” around the deposition order.
Judge Doughty previously found “that Plaintiffs have proven that Jennifer Psaki has personal knowledge about the issue concerning censorship across social media as it related to COVID-19 and ancillary issues of COVID-19.”
“Psaki has made a number of statements that are relevant to the Government’s involvement in a number of social-media platforms’ efforts to censor its users across the board for sharing information related to COVID-19,” Judge Doughty added. “Any burden on Psaki is outweighed by the need to determine whether free speech has been suppressed.”
Fabio is Director and Editor of Gospa News; a Christian Information Journal.
Fabio Giuseppe Carlo Carisio, born on 24/2/1967 in Borgosesia, started working as a reporter when he was only 19 years old in the alpine area of Valsesia, Piedmont, his birth region in Italy. After studying literature and history at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, he became director of the local newspaper Notizia Oggi Vercelli and specialized in judicial reporting.
For about 15 years he is a correspondent from Northern Italy for the Italian newspapers Libero and Il Giornale, also writing important revelations on the Ustica massacre, a report on Freemasonry and organized crime.
With independent investigations, he collaborates with Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza in important investigations that conclude with the arrest of Camorra entrepreneurs or corrupt politicians.
In July 2018 he found the counter-information web media Gospa News focused on geopolitics, terrorism, Middle East, and military intelligence.
His articles were published on many international media and website as SouthFront, Reseau International, Sputnik Italia, United Nation Association Westminster, Global Research, Kolozeg and more…
His investigations was quoted also by The Gateway Pundit, Tasnim and others
He worked for many years for the magazine Art & Wine as an art critic and curator.
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Tommy if your read Times of Israel it means you believe in Mossad Bulletin. Lol 🙂
Vaccines is really a poison. You insiste in the same two thinks without reading 62 my investigation on DEM-US ties with PCC-CHINA.
You read evidence through your political vision. I read facts as investigative journalist without prejudicial view. Infatti Trump stopped EHA grants after Fort Detrick biolabs leaking.
Every time you write you show that you don’t kwon yet the real conspirators of a plandemic orchestrated 20 years ago. Indeed Pfizer refused Operation Warp Speed grants to embarrass Trump. If TRump was in te big plot with Big Pharma shareholders alongside Bill Gates why it had to refuse MONEY?
We all read facts through our political vision, Fabio. Problem is, some so-called facts are actually articles of faith that must be believed. I would guess that many commenters here at VT are part of that faith-based belief system that distrusts science and modern medicine. These are the same folks who take the Bible literally to the point where they’ve actually counted up the “begats” in the Old Testament to conclude that the Earth is actually 6025 years old. If their evangelical pastor tells them to vote for Trump, they vote for Trump. This is a lot of why Gordon, Carol, and Jim are not an active part of Veterans Today anymore.
“But but, we should have amnesty, after all we all make mistakes and in the dark early hours of covid we had to trust the SCIENCE”. “Lives were at stake. Right?”
It was all bull shite. Just the other day the CDC reported the vaccinated are dying at a faster clip than the evil unvaxxed. Something like 58% of covid deaths are the vaccinated. What was the purpose of this psy-op? Of course, money is one, but the government isn’t a for profit company. Maybe it was designed to test how far the public can be bullied before the next step toward the technocratic takeover and a 1 world government by dictatorship is rolled out. What’s going on right now in the proving grounds known as Australia will give you a hint at what’s coming.
True, but didn’t Fauci do most of his PR work during the Trump reign of terror? Don’t you think he advised the Donald in many areas including “avoiding public panic”? They may be going after Biden because he is easier to corral than the slippery Teflon Don. I’m still betting Trump will never be indicted or forced to explain anything that happened during his administration related to public health. We will see. Have a fruitful Thanksgiving Tom.
I’m afraid you’re right, Ferdinand. Trump still has the support of maybe 50 million so-called Christian Zionists in the USA. They are one of the largest most influential voting blocks and pray each and every day for WWIII to happen so they can be “raptured” up to Heaven while the rest of us suffer in some kind of nuclear hell.
The famous skit in which Trump told Fauci to return to the Deep State denotes that Donny was afraid to face the reality of the pandemic precisely because Obama, Biden and Gates in 2019 criticized him when he removed the funding from EcoHealthAlliance.
Trump suffered Fauci. Obama-Biden have been working together on SARS viruses since 2009 with the PREDICT project.
Here is the substantial difference between the conspiracy and the cowardly Trump!
Those who address the issue of religious voters unfortunately confuse the Evangelical Christians, some of whom are also Zionists, who were with Pence but not with Trump, and the Zionists who were with the Deep State of the GOP and not with Trump.
I hope Trump is defeated in the primary by some Republican because otherwise he will lose the presidential elections in 2024 with a devastating percentage
Sorry, Fabio, your characterization of Trump as being a cowardly dupe is not supported by the evidence. According to the Times of Israel, US intelligence warned Israel and NATO of the impending bioweapons attack on China in November of 2019. It also warned the Trump administration but he did not “deem it of interest.” Everything he told his base about COVID-19 was a lie. That led to the death rate per capita in the USA being orders of magnitude greater than it was in China. To this very day there are Trumpoids running around saying that COVID-19 is a hoax and that the vaccine for it is poison.
The push to deploy the COVID-19 bioweapon in the USA was a totally bipartisan enterprise, Fabio. As you point fingers at Biden, remember what Trump did in March of 2020…
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House has ordered federal health officials to treat top-level coronavirus meetings as classified, an unusual step that has restricted information and hampered the U.S. government’s response to the contagion, according to four Trump administration officials.
Sure the SARS-Cov-2 is a bioweapon bipartisan in the conspiracy Clinton, Bush, Obama who created the Fauci’s BioKingdom…
Indeed, Bush endorsed Biden in 2020 presidential. Please don’t confuse a coarse, ignorant and cowardly covidiot like Trump with minds of diabolical intelligence
“What’s underreported is the massive size [50 million] of the Christian Zionist voting bloc and how much Trump is relying on it as a prospect to retake the White House,” says Stefanie Fox, the executive director of [Ashkenazi] Voice for Peace Action (JVP Action), October 5, 2020
The Zionists try to pretend to be Christians to make themselves credible. But true Evangelical Christians and Catholics know they reek of the Political Lobby. We’ll see what Trump does without Pence and laugh …
Please read before writing… This articles highlighted the fact that Fauci well know SARS-Cov-2 bioweapon in February 2020 and hid everything
https://veteranstoday.com/2022/02/20/first-study-on-sars-2-manmade-hidden-by-fauci-an-us-microbiologist-had-forthwith-discovered-artificial-spike-alterations/
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