Coalition · 2026
Restore the First
A citizens’ coalition asking Congress to preserve the record of government pressure on platforms, hold public hearings and create enforceable protections.
What it is
Restore the First is a citizens’ coalition convened by the six named plaintiffs in Finn et al. v. Global Engagement Center: Erin Elizabeth Finn, Sayer Ji, Rizza Islam, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Ben Tapper and Dr. Sherri Tenpenny. It was introduced on September 17, 2026, at Children’s Health Defense’s conference in Washington. Sayer Ji is a founder and plaintiff.
Its stated ask is narrow: preserve the records, hold public hearings, and create enforceable protections against government-driven censorship. Its own site says it is an unincorporated coalition, not a tax-exempt entity, that it accepts no donations and that it does not litigate.
What the court decided
The lawsuit was filed on May 15, 2025, in the Middle District of Florida (No. 3:25-cv-00543). On July 28, 2026, Judge Wendy Berger dismissed the third amended complaint with prejudice as an impermissible “shotgun pleading.” The order says the defects kept the court from reaching even the threshold question of standing.
Finn was dismissed on pleading grounds before any court examined the evidence. No court has ruled on whether the allegations are true. The case docket is public on CourtListener.
Context
Other litigation over platform pressure has ended differently. In March 2026 the Justice Department announced a settlement in Missouri v. Biden (Justice Department); Reuters reported that it bars three federal agencies from pressuring platforms to remove or suppress speech. A second settlement followed in May (Justice Department). Those settlements do not address the claims in Finn.
I wrote about why the coalition exists in “Introducing Restore the First”.