FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HELENA, Mont.— The Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute, a public interest law firm, sued Montana officials on behalf of Accountability in State Government, a Montana independent political committee, and its founder, former state legislator Dan Bartel.
Accountability in State Government circulated political mailers using AI-generated images to criticize state legislators’ voting records. The mailers depicted candidates holding pride flags and wearing preferred-pronoun pins to symbolize legislation they supported. Candidates and their political allies subsequently filed administrative complaints alleging that the mailers violated Montana law.
Montana’s 2025 law, referred to in the lawsuit as the “Digital Censorship Act”, restricts certain political communications containing AI-generated content during the 60 days before voting begins. Violations can result in civil penalties and criminal prosecution.
The law unconstitutionally restricts political speech based on its content and viewpoint, compels government-drafted disclaimers and uses vague standards that invite politically motivated enforcement.
“This case is about every person’s right to criticize politicians without the government deciding which political messages are allowed,” said Adam Schulman, senior attorney at HLLI. “HLLI successfully challenged California’s attempt to censor AI-generated political satire, and we are confident that Montana’s even more punitive law cannot survive First Amendment scrutiny.”
The case is Accountability in State Government and Dan Bartel v. Austin Knudsen et al., Case No. 26-cv-00038 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.
For more information about this case, please see our case webpage or contact the attorney below:
Contact:
Adam Schulman, Senior Attorney
(610) 457-0856, adam.schulman@hlli.org
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Every day, there are attempts to encroach upon Americans’ constitutionally protected rights. Our legal work is dedicated to countering these efforts.
The Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute is a public interest law firm dedicated to:
- Dismantling the progressive left’s attacks on civil society
- Countering government overreach
- Fighting class action abuse
- Combating NGOs engaging in civil terrorism
As a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization as defined by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, HLLI relies on support from individuals and foundations that share a commitment to individual liberty, free enterprise, and limited government. To learn more, visit http://www.hlli.org.
