Laura Loomer Files New Supreme Court Petition—'Accountability Is Coming'
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Conservative firebrand Laura Loomer is going after social media giant Meta, claiming in a new filing to the U.S. Supreme Court that it and another large company were part of an alleged criminal conspiracy to censor conservative voices like hers, leading to unsuccessful election outcomes.
Newsweek reached out to Loomer and Meta for comment.
Why It Matters
In late 2022, a treasure trove of emails now known as being part of the "Twitter files" questioned whether politicians and others of particular political persuasions were receiving due or unjust treatment on social media as a means to suppress free speech and nudge conversation.
That was part of a broader public pushback against social media companies that were uniquely employing different fact-check methods, notably during the COVID pandemic and surrounding major elections—especially the 2016 and 2020 presidential contests.
In January of this year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg followed Elon Musk's lead by announcing a rollback of its censorship policies to become a free speech platform, saying, "The recent elections feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing speech."
What To Know
Loomer, an outspoken voice on social media, wrote Monday on X, formerly Twitter, that she filed a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court in a civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) case against Meta, Procter & Gamble and others.
The Procter & Gamble portion of the claim alleges that the company provided Meta, then Facebook, with a list of conservatives who should have their speech suppressed.
Newsweek reached out to Procter & Gamble for comment.
"New evidence, like the Twitter Files and Zuckerberg's own admissions to government initiated censorship in support of the Democrats and against President Trump, reveals coordinated efforts to silence political speech and ruin the lives of those Big Tech deemed unworthy of having a voice over their support for President Trump," Loomer wrote on X.
Laura Loomer shows her support for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump outside a campaign event for Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, not pictured, at The Vault on October 5, 2023, in Tampa, Florida.
Laura Loomer shows her support for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump outside a campaign event for Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, not pictured, at The Vault on October 5, 2023, in Tampa, Florida.Loomer was unsuccessful in two separate congressional campaigns in Florida: one in 2020 and another in 2022.
In 2020, she unsuccessfully faced off against Democrat Lois Frankel in the race to represent Florida's 21st Congressional District. In 2022, she lost in the Republican primary against incumbent Daniel Webster in the race for Florida's 11th District.
More recently, she's been closely tied to President Donald Trump—sometimes to the point of Trump's own staffers wanting to keep distance between the pair due to questionable publicity. Trump in the past referred to her as a "free spirit."
Loomer, as part of her new legal filing, claims that "nobody has been more viciously attacked," adding that her attorney views it as the most egregious violation of rights against a citizen journalist "that he has ever seen."
"This case is about holding Big Tech accountable for racketeering that undermines our elections. ... Everyone involved in what happened to me will pay a price for what they did," she said. "It might not be today, but I promise you, it will happen someday.
"You don't just get to pretend like you are supporting conservatives once Trump gets elected and do nothing to make those you damaged whole again."
What People Are Saying
Zuckerberg, in January: "We're going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring free expression on our platforms."
He added that fact-checkers "have just been too politically biased, and have destroyed more trust than they've created, especially in the U.S."
What Happens Next
It's unclear whether Loomer's request will receive a look from the High Court.
While the court is not obligated to hear all cases appealed to it, a writ of certiorari can help it decide which cases should take precedence.
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