Press Freedom Groups That Criticized Trump Now Blast Democratic Governor Over Alleged Media Retaliation
Press freedom groups that condemned Trump's treatment of journalists are now comparing the media tactics of Trump critic Wes Moore with the president's actions.
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A coalition of prominent press freedom organizations that have criticized President Donald Trump's treatment of journalists are now accusing Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, himself a Trump critic, of retaliating against news outlets that investigate his administration.
The allegations were made in an Oct. 13 letter from the Freedom of the Press Foundation and six other journalism and civil liberties organizations. The groups raised concerns about the Moore administration's decision to subject even routine requests from reporters at Sinclair affiliates and the Baltimore Sun to greater legal scrutiny.
The additional review comes amid a lawsuit filed against Moore by David Smith, chief executive of Sinclair Broadcasting Group and majority owner of The Baltimore Sun. Maryland agencies have specifically addressed Smith's complaint in written responses to reporters, and have informed reporters at Sinclair-affiliated media outlets that their questions will be referred to legal counsel before receiving a response.
Moore himself had previously criticized Trump's behavior with reporters. During a Sept. 20 appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," the Maryland governor blasted the president's decision to ban reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, accusing Trump of treating the Constitution "like it's a suggestion box, simply because he doesn't like the coverage."
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Seth Stern, head of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in a statement accompanying the letter: "It is particularly offensive that Moore is seeking to bolster his national image by criticizing the Trump administration's illegal efforts to ban dissident media from the White House, when he himself has done similar things."
Press freedom groups that joined Moore's condemnation, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, PEN America, Reporters Without Borders, and the Society of Professional Journalists, argued that journalists should not be treated differently from government officials because of disputes over ownership of their media outlets, drawing comparisons to the Trump administration's restrictions on some White House reporting.
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"David Smith has decided to sue the governor. Our legal team's investigative review is a substantive review, not a blackout," Moses continued. A litigant cannot dictate how the state protects itself, but that has not stopped our agencies from doing their duty to the people of Maryland.
The dispute stems from a lawsuit Smith filed against the governor in July. Smith accused Moore of making false and damaging statements about her during a television interview, including Smith implying that she had a relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Smith, whose media holdings include the Baltimore Sun, has been repeatedly criticized by Moore, who has accused the paper's ownership of pushing a Trump-aligned political agenda. Smith believes that the governor's comments have crossed the line from political criticism to defamation.
The lawsuit was filed by Smith himself rather than the news organizations, whose reporters have since faced increased legal scrutiny over their investigations.
"We ask you to instruct all Maryland agencies that Smith's complaint against you is a personal matter and not an excuse to send media requests to a statutory review black hole, and to cease any further illegal retaliation against news outlets you personally dislike," the coalition's letter reads.
"It is particularly troubling that while government agencies under your watch are surveilling reporters on flimsy pretexts, you take to the airwaves to decry the Trump administration's illegal ban on news outlets the president doesn't like from the White House," the letter continued. "Yes, Trump often turns his personal grudges into government censorship policies to the detriment of public opinion. But your behavior doesn't seem that different."
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