Republican Boebert sued after blocking critic on Twitter

DENVER (AP) — A former state representative in Colorado sued Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert on Sunday after being blocked from the first-term federal lawmaker’s Twitter account.

Attorneys for Democrat Bri Buentello of Pueblo filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Denver, claiming she was blocked after calling for the Colorado Republican to be recalled in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by loyalists to President Donald Trump.

The suit seeks a court order for Boebert to unlock Buentello on Twitter and a declaration that the Republican’s actions violated Buentello’s constitutional rights to free speech.

Boebert’s chief of staff, Jeff Small, said her office was not commenting on the case.

Her communications director, Ben Goldey, quit last week, less than two weeks after Boebert was sworn into office. Goldey said his action was prompted by the insurrection at the Capitol.

Boebert has links to the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory and has sought to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. She gained attention for vowing to carry a gun in the Capitol.

An attorney for Buentello said Boebert’s “stifling” of critics should be of concern to everyone.

“She believes the Constitution begins and ends with the Second Amendment,” said attorney David Lane. “We are trying to teacher her that the Constitution is broader and that every provision has to be protected.

Buentello, who lives in Boebert’s district, served a single term in the state House of Representatives before losing a bid for reelection in November.