Judge allows two GOP reps to sue two California cities for violating their free speech rights

A federal judge ruled on Friday that a lawsuit from Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., can proceed against two cities in California that canceled rallies they had scheduled in 2021.

U.S. District Judge Hernan Vera, writing in a 22-page opinion, said there is adequate evidence for their claims against city officials in Anaheim and Riverside, California, who canceled their events. But the judge also criticized the two for allegations that some liberal nonprofit organizations had colluded with the cities to violate their First Amendment rights, according to Fox News.

Judge Vera, a Biden appointee, wrote that the lawsuit had "numerous fatal deficiencies," and that "Chief among them is the complete lack of any alleged facts to support a ‘meeting of the minds’ as required for a conspiracy claim." 

The two members of Congress had planned rallies in the two cities, but the venues in both cities canceled the events after being pressured by activist groups and local government officials, according to the outlet. They asked the court to issue an injunction to ban cities from "coercing private venues from entering into facilities use contracts with Plaintiffs for future political rallies," and they also sought damages for emotional distress.