Recently, a judge granted permission to Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, two of the most prominent Trump die-hard supporters, to initiate a lawsuit against two Californian cities, challenging what they perceive as infringements on their First Amendment rights by local authorities. This judge’s decision, which comes at a time when the presidential campaign is becoming increasingly heated, poses a significant opportunity for Republicans to use the case against the Democrats and the Biden administration.
Trump’s most loyal supporters
Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz are some of the most vocal Trump supporters who have consistently demonstrated unwavering support for the former president, a stance that becomes more evident as Trump emerges as the leading Republican candidate for president. Their extreme right-wing views are a representation of the core of Trump’s support base. Despite their frequent involvement in controversies, these Republican representatives are pivotal in advancing Trump’s re-election efforts.
The right to sue
Greene and Gaetz had planned to conduct rallies in 2021 in Anaheim and Riverside, California, which were canceled by local officials at the at the last minute. The cancellations, as a result of local government decisions and pressure from various progressive campaign groups, led to their lawsuit. Last Friday, U.S. District Judge Hernan Vera ruled that they could proceed with their lawsuit against the cities, although not against the campaign groups.
Judge Vera specifically criticized the attempt by Greene and Gaetz to also sue the progressive groups involved in the rally cancellations, dismissing their effort as “both legally and literally, a conspiracy theory that relies purely on conjecture.”
Huge legal win for Greene and Gaetz
The decision made it possible for the plaintiffs to move forward with their case against city governments in California, which they accused of trying to limit free speech, said Gaetz in a conversation with Newsweek. Judge Vera, in his decision, tried to weigh the First Amendment rights claims made by both the two Republican figures, Gaetz and Greene, and the groups that did not support their actions.
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What happened
Back in 2021, Gaetz and Greene planned to hold events inside buildings in Anaheim and Riverside, California. However, several groups and individuals raised concerns, leading to the abrupt cancellation of President Biden-appointed Judge Vera, who ruled that the two Republican politicians had convincingly demonstrated that the city authorities had given their representatives the power to cancel the gatherings, a move “expressly predicated on viewpoint discrimination.”
Senators can’t sue advocacy groups
Nonetheless, Judge Vera ruled against Gaetz and Greene in their attempt to take legal action against several organizations that had protested against their events in 2021. Among these organizations were The League of Women Voters, The League of United Latin American Citizens, and The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which is known for its work during the civil rights movement. Vera pointed out that the legal claims against these groups had many critical weaknesses, and there were no solid facts to back up their reasons for suing.
Judge explanation
Referring to the claims against the non-profits, Vera said: “The gravamen of Plaintiffs’ claims against the Nonprofit Defendants is, both legally and literally, a conspiracy theory that relies purely on conjecture.
“And without an unlawful conspiracy, all that is left to aver against the Nonprofit Defendants are the unremarkable allegations that they exercised their own First Amendment rights to lobby for the cancellation of the event. That is protected… “The effect of Plaintiffs’ unprecedented and stunningly deficient pleading—haling nine civil rights groups into federal court for speaking out against an event—should shock in equal measure civic members from across the political spectrum,” Vera added.
