A Company Backed by Donald Trump Sued a Judge of the Supreme Court of Brazil

Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), parent company of Truth Social and founded by President Donald Trump, and the video platform Rumble filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Tampa, Florida, against Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, accusing him of illegally censoring American companies.

According to the lawsuit, Moraes allegedly issued a "manifestly illegal censorship order" affecting political speech beyond his jurisdiction, impacting companies that primarily operate in U.S. territory. TMTG and Rumble argue that the magistrate interfered with the freedom of expression of their platforms without legal authority to do so.

The court document mentions a "Political Dissident A," who allegedly left Brazil and sought asylum in the United States after an arrest warrant was issued by Moraes, accused of "spreading misinformation" and "criticizing the Supreme Court." The lawsuit seeks to halt any attempt by the Brazilian judge to impose restrictions on the content of these platforms in the U.S.

According to the lawsuit, Moraes allegedly ordered Rumble to block the account of "Political Dissident A" or face the closure of the platform in Brazil.

However, the plaintiffs argue that actions like "spreading incorrect information" and "criticizing the Supreme Court" are perfectly legal in the U.S., where Rumble operates. Truth Social could also be affected, as it partially relies on Rumble's technology.

"The imposition of censorship orders, as issued, suppresses legitimate political speech in the United States, undermining essential constitutional protections established in the First Amendment, violating the Communications Decency Act, and contradicting essential principles of comity," the lawsuit continues.

The legal teams of Rumble and TMTG seek a resolution declaring that Moraes's censorship orders have no validity in the U.S.

"Allowing Justice Moraes to muzzle a vocal user of an American digital medium would endanger our country's essential commitment to open and robust debate. Neither extraterritorial dictates nor judicial overreach from abroad can invalidate the freedoms protected by the Constitution and U.S. law," the lawsuit concludes.