Freedom of the Press Foundation and six other journalism and civil liberties organizations

“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,”

Freedom of the Press Foundation and six other journalism and civil liberties organizations · said 2026-10-13 · reported 2026-10-15

The coalition letter contrasted Moore's public condemnation of Trump's media restrictions with his own administration's treatment of reporters.

“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,”

Freedom of the Press Foundation and six other journalism and civil liberties organizations · said 2026-10-13 · reported 2026-10-15

The coalition urged Moore in an Oct. 13 letter to stop subjecting media requests to legal review because of Smith's personal lawsuit.

“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.”

Freedom of the Press Foundation and six other journalism and civil liberties organizations · said 2026-10-13 · reported 2026-10-15

The coalition letter compared Moore's conduct toward disfavored news outlets to Trump's pattern of turning personal grudges into censorial policy.