FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Washington, D.C., Oct. 13, 2026 — Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) led a letter from a coalition of rights organizations to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore demanding he cease his troubling practice of sending routine inquiries from Sinclair-owned media outlets into legal review black holes, citing a personal defamation case against him by Sinclair Chairman David Smith.
Freedom of the Press Foundation Chief of Advocacy Seth Stern said:
“A governor telling state agencies not to answer routine inquiries from media outlets because he’s mad at their owner is petty and ridiculous. While we’d certainly prefer that news executives not file defamation lawsuits that could set harmful precedents for journalists, Smith’s personal lawsuit against Moore is not the problem of Maryland taxpayers and news readers, and they’re the ones who suffer when the government evades transparency.
“It’s particularly offensive that Moore seeks to boost his national profile by slamming the Trump administration’s unconstitutional attempts to ban disfavored media outlets from the White House when he’s engaged in such similar antics himself. Yes, Trump is a vindictive and censorial bully, but there are plenty of people with clean hands who are able to speak out against his abuses without inviting well-deserved accusations of hypocrisy. Moore should sit this one out and clean up his own house instead.”
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