POLITICAL REPORTER ROB LAUER SUES NV SOS CEGAVSKE OVER FB POST REMOVALS

Oct. 1, 2021

Rob Lauer Political Reporter

Did Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske’s office ask Twitter and Facebook to censor and/or remove posts last year during and after the 2020 election and if so, which post? That is the subject of our lawsuit today against the Nevada Secretary of State.

360 News Las Vegas and Political Reporter Rob Lauer filed a lawsuit in Clark County District Court seeking to enforce a public records request they served on Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske’s office back on July 7, 2021. Mind you, they have 5 business days under Nevada law to reply and comply. They never responded.

In May 2020, “Judicial Watch announced today that they received 624 pages of records from the Secretary of State of Iowa, revealing how state officials pressured social media companies (Twitter and Facebook) to censor posts about the 2020 election.” 

In June 2021, 360 published an article outlining communications between the Secretary of State’s office and Facebook.  360 News uncovered a direct phone line from Cegavske’s office to FB where she could ask them to remove FB Posts that “may interfere with elections”. 360 News later learned about a secret office set up by numerous Secretary of State Offices around the country called Office of Election Cyber Security. According to reports, their mission is to monitor Posts on Twitter and FB and flag any they feel are promoting misinformation that may threaten election integrity.

On July 1, 2021 Judicial Watch successfully sued and won a case against the “Secretary of State of California showing the office directly emailed Google employees to remove a Judicial Watch video (from YouTube) on election integrity.”

On or about July 7, 2021, 360 News Las Vegas submitted a formal Nevada Open Records request to the public information officer of the Nevada Secretary of State, seeking the following public records:

• a) a list of each social media post you flagged and or requested Facebook and
  or Twitter to remove or review since using either your staff and or the election
  cyber security office and or agency;
• b) a screen shot and date of each post;
  c) any and all internal and external communications related to such posts your
  office and or the election cyber security office and or agency flagged and or
  requested Facebook and or Twitter to remove or review.
  d) a list of staff operating the Nevada Office of Election Cybersecurity since its
  conception.

Under Nevada law, the Secretary of State must respond within 5 business days to Public Requests. 360 News emailed the response at least twice, plus sent several follow up email requests and 3 phone calls. We even called the executive office directly this week. To date the SOS’s office refuses to even acknowledge 360 News’ public records request.

360 News Las Vegas’ Lawyer, Adam J. Breeden, said

“The state of Nevada has some of the nation’s strongest open records laws. But time and time again we find government agencies fail to respond to requests, withhold records that are plainly open to the public or slow walk responses. The state has no legal basis to deny the requests made, they simply didn’t want to respond in this case.”

The Public Records lawsuit states:

“The State of Nevada, through the office of the Secretary of State which is the office
tasked to conduct elections in the state, has an Office of Election Cybersecurity or similar office or staff which, on information and belief, has the capability to request that Facebook and Twitter
remove, review, flag or censor certain posts concerning elections or other topics.”

360 News Las Vegas and Political Reporter Rob Lauer are prepared to depose all public officials about the documents requested.

The Complaint—->> 360 NEWS – 2021.09.30 lawsuit complaint

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