Key figure leaves Biden administration amid accusations of running a massive censorship operation.

Key Figure in Biden Administration’s Social Media Narrative-Shaping Efforts to Leave White House

President Joe Biden’s digital director Rob Flaherty, a central figure in the administration’s efforts to shape social media narratives as part of a censorship-by-proxy effort, is leaving the White House by the end of the month, a court filing shows.

Flaherty, a veteran of Biden’s 2020 campaign, has been overseeing the biggest-ever White House digital team as the director of the Office of Digital Strategy.

His last day on the job will be June 30, 2023, according to a recent court document (pdf) filed as part of a lawsuit by Republican attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana that accused the Biden administration of violating the First Amendment by censoring users on social media.

The evidence presented by the plaintiffs—Louisiana attorney general Jeff Landry and Missouri attorney general Eric Schmitt—led to the judge overseeing the case approving the depositions of eight officials believed to be or confirmed to be part of the administration’s censorship campaign, with Flaherty one of those flagged for deposition.

However, due to Flaherty’s imminent departure, his as yet unnamed successor will take his place as a defendant in the lawsuit, per the court document, which was filed in the U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana on June 16.

“Mr. Flaherty will no longer hold that position and will no longer be employed in any capacity by the U.S. Government,” the filing states, with the defendants expected to file a notice of substitution once Flaherty’s successor is named.

On the same day as the court filing was made, Biden also announced that Flaherty would be leaving the White House but with no details about the timing and a hint that the two would work together again in some capacity in the future.

“Under Rob’s leadership, we’ve built the largest Office of Digital Strategy in history,” Biden said in a statement.

“His team has pioneered new methods of communication, and operated with unparalleled creativity, innovative spirit and a bias toward action,” the president continued, adding that he looks forward to “our continued work together in the future.”

There have been unconfirmed rumors that Flaherty will join Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign. The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House with a request for confirmation but did not receive an immediate reply.

In a statement reacting to news of Flaherty’s imminent departure, the Missouri attorney general wrote on social media: “Rob Flaherty is gone. He was a central figure in the Biden Administration’s vast censorship machine.”

Judge to Decide If Government Improperly Censored Social Media Users

The judge overseeing Landry’s and Schmitt’s suit against the Biden administration in a March ruling (pdf) refused to dismiss the case, finding Louisiana and Missouri’s free-speech claims plausible and worthy of further litigation.

The judge, Terry A. Doughty, also permitted the plaintiffs to collect evidence, such as email communications between the White House and social media companies.

While there are other lawsuits accusing the Biden administration of censorship-by-proxy by leaning on social media companies to suspend accounts or take down posts, this case has advanced further than any other.

“This suit arises out of the alleged coercion by the Biden Administration and various government agencies and officials of social-media companies, urging those companies ‘to censor viewpoints and speakers disfavored by the Left,’” the judge wrote in his March ruling that denied the Biden administration’s request to dismiss.

According to the judge, Landry and Schmitt allege that “this censorship was encouraged—perhaps ev