Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sues Meta, Mark Zuckerberg for censorship and election interference

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

FIRST UP — Please take a minute to fill out our newsletter reader survey. Thank you so much!

RFK JR. SUES MARK ZUCKERBERG, META FOR ELECTION INTERFERENCE AND CENSORSHIP

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who will appear on the California ballot with the far-right American Independent Party, filed a lawsuit Monday against tech giant Meta.

The lawsuit accuses the company, and its founder Mark Zuckerberg, of censorship and election interference.

Lawyers on behalf of Kennedy and his super PAC, American Values 2024, filed the federal lawsuit Monday in the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division.

The lawsuit alleges Meta, which encompasses Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and Messenger, purposefully suppressed users from viewing and sharing a 30-minute documentary, “Who is Bobby Kennedy?” which was released by American Values 2024 on May 3.

According to the lawsuit, Meta began “blocking users on its platforms from watching, sharing, or even posting a link.”

“Facebook and Instagram ... sent users messages threatening to suspend their accounts or otherwise punish them if they sought to watch, share or even post a link to the film,” the lawsuit claims.

Meta told the New York Times on May 5 that users were unable to watch and share the film because “it was mistakenly blocked, and it was corrected within a few hours.”

But Kennedy’s campaign maintained that it was intentional censorship.

His running mate, Bay Area native and tech entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan, called Zuckerberg “cowardly” on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“How are people supposed to find out that they have a viable alternative candidate — that they don’t have to vote for the lesser of two evils — when Meta is colluding with the Biden administration to block key channels for communicating with the American public?” said Tony Lyons, co-founder of the super PAC, on Monday.

Meta did not respond to a comment request from The Sacramento Bee.

KEVIN MCCARTHY REPLACEMENT TO BE CHOSEN NEXT WEEK

Via Gillian Brassil...

Voters in former Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s district have one week left to select his replacement.

The May 21 runoff in California’s 20th Congressional District will decide between two Republicans — Assemblyman Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, and Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux. Whoever wins this special election will be sworn into office almost immediately for the rest of the former House Speaker’s term, which ends in January 2025.

California’s 20th — the state’s most heavily GOP congressional district where 47% of registered voters are Republican and 27% are Democrats — grabs portions of Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern counties.

Fong, McCarthy’s chosen successor, is the presumed front-runner to succeed his former boss. He got former President Donald Trump’s endorsement, support from outside spending and his base in Kern County, where most of voters in California’s 20th are.

Fong, 44, has represented the area that’s now the 32nd Assembly District since 2016. He had served as McCarthy’s district director for almost a decade. Born in Bakersfield, Fong started his political career as an aide to former Republican Rep. Bill Thomas, McCarthy’s predecessor.

Boudreaux, 57, has been Tulare County Sheriff for over a decade. Currently president of the California State Sheriffs’ Association, Boudreaux has worked in Tulare County law enforcement since age 19.

The two Republicans will face each other again in the Nov. 5 general election for a two-year to begin in January 2025. Fong led in both the March 5 and special election primaries.

Fong’s November bid survived a legal challenge from California’s chief elections officer. Secretary of State Shirley Weber tried to block Fong because he filed to run for both Assembly and Congress amid a succession scramble after McCarthy announced his retirement.

McCarthy, a Bakersfield Republican, left Congress in December following his ousting as Speaker of the House, a role he long coveted and held for nine months.

BIDEN COURTS THE BAY AREA...

President Joe Biden paid a visit to Bay Area voters last weekend, with a quick campaign trip in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Speaking at a private residence in Palo Alto, Biden cautioned a second Trump Administration and celebrated his diverse Cabinet.

“When I got elected president ... I decided I was going to have an administration that looked like America, and I meant it,” Biden said. “We have more women in my Cabinet than we have men. We have more women in the offices, in the major positions in my administration than we have men. And ... we have more African Americans that are in courts. We have more Hispanics. I mean, we just decided that it’s important.”

First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom attended the fundraiser. Biden said she’s doing “an incredible job.”

“The momentum is clearly in our favor,” he said, about the upcoming November election, where voters will decide whether or not he’ll get a second term. “With polls moving towards us and away from Trump.”

... AND TRUMP WILL COURT SOCAL IN JUNE

Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will head to Southern California next month for two fundraisers, where he will likely also court California’s tech elite.

According to Puck News reporter Teddy Schleifer, Trump will visit Beverly Hills on June 7 , and Newport Beach on June 8 for a fundraiser hosted by tech entrepreneur and virtual reality magnate Palmer Luckey, who founded Oculus VR.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I’m in a little bit of trouble because Kamala is not here. Every time I’m going to California, she says, ‘Wait, wait — I got to go back. I got to go back.’ She sends her love.”

- President Joe Biden on a campaign visit to Palo Alto

Best of The Bee:

• As he heads to the Vatican, Gov. Newsom is failing on climate change, via Tom Philp.

• Man dies in Sacramento jail during fingerprinting — second death at sheriff’s facility in week, via Chris Biderman.

• California’s Latino lawmakers prioritize bills each year. How many have passed in the last decade? via Mathew Miranda.

• Gov. Gavin Newsom says he’s ‘against divestment’ after Sac State changes policy language, via Rosalio Ahumada and Ishani Desai.