Laura Loomer complains to feds over Twitter illegally helping her opponent

Citizen journalist-activist Laura Loomer sets up a demonstration at the Napa Valley estate of Nancy Pelosi on Jan. 14, 2019 (Video screenshot)

Guerrilla journalist Laura Loomer – now a candidate for Congress – has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Twitter for illegally providing a benefit to her opponents but not her.

The issue is that Twitter previously banned Loomer because of her opinions on Islam and other controversial subjects.

But now, as a candidate for the seat from Florida's 21st congressional district, Twitter is violating the FCC's equal-time rule by continuing to ban her, her complaint argues.

"Specifically, by banning federal candidate Laura Loomer from its platform, Twitter is providing something of value to Loomer's political opponents for the purpose of influencing the election in Florida's 12st district. … when Twitter banned Loomer, it prevented Loomer from having equal access to the platform that was given to her political opponents, thereby also violating the FCC's equal-time rule," the complaint states.

It argues social media companies like Twitter "are the new public forum and when they discriminate against conservatives through shadow-banning and/or outright banning, it is un-American and fundamentally wrong."

The action became "illegal" when "Twitter moved from banning private citizen Laura Loomer to banning federal candidate Laura Loomer while maintaining free (but very valuable) access for her opposing campaigns."

The ban "runs afoul" of both FEC and FCC regulations, it contends.

"Laura Loomer is the frontrunner candidate for the Republican primary for U.S. Representative for Florida's Twenty First Congressional District," the complaint says.

According to the Gateway Pundit, Loomer, 26, is "one of the most banned political commentators, and now candidates for office, in the nation – having been kicked off Twitter, Facebook, Uber, Lyft, PayPal, GoFundMe, and other platforms for her fierce and controversial criticism of Islam."

"This is a first-of-its-kind complaint and takes into account the influential role that social media corporations play in our elections," Charlie Spies, counsel for Laura Loomer for Congress, said in a statement.

"Once Ms. Loomer became a federal candidate, it became illegal for Twitter to ban her while providing free access to her Democrat opponent," he said. "Corporate owned public forums like Twitter must either provide equal time and access for all candidates for public office, or charge market value. Twitter should not be exempt from Equal Time laws, and a violation like the one occurring with Ms. Loomer is an impermissible in-kind corporate contribution to her opponent."

Spies added that Twitter "has become a primary method of communication for candidates and elected officials to speak directly to their supporters without the filter of the media."

"President Trump proved this in 2016 and continues the practice today. Twitter’s continued ban against Laura Loomer, prevents her campaign from having equal access that is required under the law."

The Gateway Pundit explained Loomer "has previously worked as an undercover journalist for Project Veritas and is best known for conducting ambush interviews and staging political stunts to call attention to the issues she is concerned about. Her campaign website notes that she has confronted Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, Huma Abedin, James Comey, Maxine Waters, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Michael Avenatti, Tim Kaine, Linda Sarsour, Alyssa Milano, and former DNC chair Keith Ellison."

The complaint states: "Based on publicly available information regarding the Twitter corporation's political bias, it is clear that Twitter's continued ban of Loomer's Twitter account is for the purpose of influencing the congressional election in Florida's 21st District.

"If Twitter is going to provide access to its corporate-funded platform to once candidate in Florida's 21st congressional district, it must provide access to all of the candidates, including Loomer."