After Trump ruling, Ocasio-Cortez sued for blocking Twitter critics
If Trump can't block people, AOC shouldn't either, plaintiffs argue.
- She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
AOC blocking Twitter users? Not A-OK, say lawsuits.
After a federal court ruled that it's unconstitutional for President Donald Trump to block users on Twitter , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been hit with two lawsuits by a pair of politicians she'd blocked. New York congressional candidate Joseph Saladino and former New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind filed separate suits against Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday.
"I have officially filed my lawsuit against AOC for blocking me on twitter. Trump is not allowed to block people, will the standards apply equally?" Saladino tweeted Tuesday. He also posted a video of him filling out the lawsuit paperwork, a link to donate to his campaign and a screenshot showing that he was blocked.
I have officially filed my lawsuit against AOC for blocking me on twitter.
— Saladino for Congress (@JoeySalads) July 9, 2019
Trump is not allowed to block people, will the standards apply equally?
Stay tuned to find out! pic.twitter.com/0RmHI7x9Qc
Adam Korzeniewsi, the congressional candidate's general consul, said Ocasio-Cortez blocked Saladino on about May 9.
"Mr. Saladino does encourage others to use the court systems as they were intended to settle disputes over the proper exercise of their rights," Korzeniewsi said in an email.
Korzeniewsi said politicians blocking people they disagree with on Twitter is a problem because it limits the ability to view, share and challenge ideas in a public space.
"This lawsuit is about equally applying standards to elected officials regardless of status, position or political affiliation," Korzeniewsi said.
Hikind also tweeted about Ocasio-Cortez blocking him. In a Twitter message, Hikind said he was blocked on Monday.
"I think anyone who feels that they're being denied access to a public elected official has the right to seek redress. I'm not saying thousands of lawsuits should be initiated. Quite the contrary. This is a perfect test case to see if the precedent set against President Trump will be applied to those across the political aisle," he wrote.
Ocasio-Cortez's office didn't respond to a request for comment.
On Monday, federal courts ruled unanimously that Trump could no longer block users on Twitter because it's a public forum. The decision comes a year after Trump was sued by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York for blocking users.
Originally published July 10, 9:39 a.m. PT.
Update, 1:26 p.m.: Adds responses from Saladino's counsel and Hidkin.
