Venessa Lester
Vanessa Lester and the Steering Committee
Hillsborough County Democratic Party
CC: Nikki Fried, Chairwoman, Florida Democratic Party
Concern Regarding Restriction of Public Discussion on Official Social Media Channels
Dear Ms. Lester and Members of the Steering Committee,
I am writing to formally express concern regarding the restriction of public discussion and comments on the official social media channels of the Hillsborough County Democratic Party. It has come to my attention that comments and engagement have been blocked on these platforms, raising potential legal concerns under First Amendment protections if these platforms are being utilized as public forums in coordination with government officials or public entities.
As established in Knight First Amendment Institute v. Trump, government officials and entities cannot restrict public discourse in a digital public forum by blocking comments or engagement. If the Hillsborough County Democratic Party’s official social media accounts are operated in collaboration with public officials or are used for official government-related communication, preventing public participation could constitute viewpoint discrimination and an infringement upon free speech rights.
Given the Democratic Party’s commitment to open dialogue and civic engagement, I respectfully request clarification regarding the moderation policies governing these social media platforms and the legal basis for limiting public discussion.
Transparency in digital engagement is essential to maintaining public trust and ensuring fair access to political discourse.
I request a formal response addressing this concern no later than 10 business days from the date of this lette. If no response is received, I will explore further options to ensure that public discussion is not improperly restricted.
I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Carolina Ampudia, M.D.
Past President DPCF
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