The American Civil Liberties Union has settled its lawsuit accusing Maryland's governor of censoring constituents by blocking them on his official Facebook page and deleting their comments.
The ACLU announced Monday that the settlement includes a new social media policy for Gov. Larry Hogan's Facebook page and other social media accounts.
The ACLU sued on behalf of four people, saying their First Amendment rights were violated. The suit was one of several around the country accusing high-profile elected officials, including President Donald Trump, of blocking constituents on social media.
A spokeswoman for the Republican governor said it was much better for Maryland taxpayers to resolve the issue than to waste.
“We are pleased that the ACLU has decided to drop this frivolous and politically motivated lawsuit and reach a settlement with the state. Ultimately, it was much better for Maryland taxpayers to resolve this, than to continue wasting everyone’s time and resources in court.”
The ACLU says the settlement must be fully implemented within 14 days.
