The satirical news website, famous for using humor to humiliate Democrats, filed a complaint this week in a California federal court. The lawsuit names as defendants California’s attorney general and secretary of state, the Los Angeles County district attorney, and the Los Angeles city attorney.
California attorney Kelly Chang Rickert is also a plaintiff along with the Bee, and both are being represented by attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom.
ADF Attorney Rachel Rouleau tells AFN the law firm is “rooting” for the Bee and for Rickert to win their lawsuit because their legal fight is about defending free speech and challenging what ADF calls state-approved censorship.
The lawsuit was triggered by two election-related state laws that censor speech through subjective standards, such as prohibiting pictures and videos "likely to harm" a candidate's "electoral prospects."
The two laws approved by the state legislature are AB 2839 and AB 2655.
According to ADF, the bills target any person or company that distributes “materially deceptive content" about candidates, elected officials, and other election material.
AB 2839 would require Rickert to issue a disclaimer if she writes satire online, and AB 2655 targets the Bee with a similar requirement.
Newsom bragged about signing law
In a Sept. 17 X post, Gov. Gavin Newsom bragged he had signed a new law that would ban, for example, a parody video that features Vice President Kamala Harris.
"You can no longer knowingly distribute an ad or other election communications," Newsom wrote, "that contain materially deceptive content -- including deepfakes."
“This rule,” Rouleau counters, “uses fake standards to punish people for posting political memes online, and that's simply terrifying."
Thanks to the non-censorship of X, Newsom's post was mocked with X users who pointed out Newsom has made false claims online about Donald Trump.
"You gonna arrest yourself?" Kassy Akiva, a Daily Wire reporter, asked the Governor.
Penalties for violating the two laws include significant attorneys' fees, costs, and damages.
Undeterred by the California law, the Bee predictably published a satirical article slamming Newsom. With a fake quote from the real Governor, the article reads:
"We believe in free speech and freedom here in the Golden State," said Newsom while nibbling on a 3000-dollar broasted hummingbird with stem cell-infused bordelaise. "Here in California, you're free to wear masks at all times, pay lots of taxes, give gay porn to elementary school kids, turn in your guns, and all kinds of other classic American pastimes! Yay, freedom!"
ADF plans to ask the court for a preliminary injunction to stop the laws while the lawsuit proceeds.
