Press Freedom Groups Accuse Maryland Governor of Media Retaliation

A coalition of press freedom organizations, which have previously criticized former President Donald Trump's administration for restricting media access, has now accused Maryland Gov. Wes Moore of retaliating against news outlets scrutinizing his administration. The groups raised concerns about the Moore administration's decision to subject inquiries from reporters at Sinclair-affiliated news outlets and The Baltimore Sun to additional legal review.

The accusations were detailed in an October 13 letter from the Freedom of the Press Foundation and six other journalism and civil liberties organizations. These groups highlighted that Maryland agencies explicitly cited a defamation lawsuit filed against Moore by David Smith, executive chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group and majority owner of The Baltimore Sun, in written responses to reporters. The agencies informed journalists at Sinclair-affiliated outlets that their inquiries would be routed to legal counsel before a response would be provided.

This development comes as Governor Moore himself has previously condemned Trump's actions toward journalists. During a September 20 appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," Moore criticized Trump's decision to bar reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, stating that the former president treated the Constitution as a mere suggestion when faced with unfavorable coverage.

"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," Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in a statement accompanying the letter.

The coalition, which includes the Committee to Protect Journalists, PEN America, Reporters Without Borders, and the Society of Professional Journalists, argued that journalists should not face disparate treatment from government officials due to disputes involving their outlets' ownership. They drew parallels to the Trump administration's restrictions on certain White House reporters.

Moore's office has strongly refuted these allegations. Ammar Moussa, Moore's senior press secretary and director of media strategy, stated that there has been no blanket refusal to engage with reporters. "In the last week alone, state agencies and the Governor's Office have answered dozens of questions from Sinclair outlets, and we're happy to let them share those responses," Moussa said. He added, "David Smith chose to sue the Governor. Having our legal team look over inquiries is basic due diligence, not a blackout."

The dispute originated from a defamation lawsuit filed by Smith against the governor in July. Smith alleged that Moore made false and damaging statements about him during a television interview, which Smith interpreted as suggesting ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Smith, whose media holdings include The Baltimore Sun, has been a frequent target of criticism from Moore, who has accused the newspaper's ownership of promoting a political agenda aligned with Trump. Smith maintains that Moore's remarks constituted defamation.

"We urge you to instruct all Maryland agencies that Smith’s lawsuit against you is a personal matter and not an excuse to send media requests into a legal review black hole, and to cease any other unlawful retaliation against news outlets you personally dislike," the coalition letter stated. "It is particularly jarring that, while government agencies under your watch stonewall reporters based on flimsy pretexts, you take to the airwaves to condemn the Trump administration’s unconstitutional ban of news outlets the president doesn’t like from the White House. Yes, Trump frequently turns his personal grudges into censorial government policy, to the detriment of the public. But your own conduct appears not much different."