The Story
Kris Courtney, a 66-year-old Gentleman & American Artist and Author (born with multiple congenital amputations and disabilities), had his livelihood deliberately destroyed through coordinated algorithmic suppression, political jawboning, review deletion, and retaliatory actions by Google, Amazon, and Meta/Facebook with additional to be included 'John Doe' Defendant(s) (et al. Discovery & Subpoena)
His award-winning novel Florida Retirement Is Murder (ASIN B0BRDPJXPM) was an instant bestseller with strong international rankings and interest from Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for film/TV adaptation — until it was banned in the United States only on June 18, 2024, ONLY in the U.S.A. In a damning 2024-2025 investigative report titled "The Censorship-Industrial Complex: How Top Biden White House Officials Coerced Big Tech to Censor Americans, True Information, and Critics of the Biden Administration", irrefutable evidence reveals a coordinated assault on the First Amendment by high-ranking Biden officials. This corruption not only targeted everyday Americans but systematically destroyed the livelihoods of conservative artists, authors, and entrepreneurs, stifling innovation, suppressing true information, and interfering with democratic discourse. The report uncovers how White House aides like Rob Flaherty (Digital Strategy Director) and Andy Slavitt (Senior Advisor) relentlessly pressured tech giants—including Google, Amazon, Meta (Facebook), and Twitter (now X)—to censor content deemed unfavorable to the administration. Through veiled threats of antitrust scrutiny, Section 230 reform, and regulatory retaliation, these officials transformed private platforms into tools of state-sponsored suppression. The result? A "Do Not Promote" agenda that erased conservative narratives, including patriotic art, independent books, and entrepreneurial ventures, costing creators millions in lost opportunities and generational wealth.
The Retaliation
After sending a formal Preservation of Records Notice on September 15, 2025, the suppression intensified within 72 hours. This pattern matches documented government "jawboning" and the "Do Not Promote" agenda that pressured Big Tech to silence conservative and patriotic voices.
Legal Claims
The lawsuit includes but not limited - claims under:
- Sherman Antitrust Act §§ 1 & 2
- Clayton Act § 3
- First Amendment state-action / government jawboning violations (citing NRA v. Vullo and Missouri v. Biden | Consent Decree 2026)
- Breach of Contract
- Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA)
- Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult
PUBLIC NOTICE: In the interest of minimizing further liability
Additional Resources
Book Website: www.cozycomedymystery.com
Main Website: www.kriscourtney.com
Read Full Press Release on LinkedIn
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April, 2026
Sebring, FL — Kris Courtney, a 66-year-old disabled American artist and author, filed a federal lawsuit 226-cv-14119-SMM today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Google LLC, Amazon.com, Inc., Meta Platforms, Inc., and 'John Doe' Defendant(s) (et al. Discovery & Subpoena).
The suit alleges a deliberate, coordinated campaign of algorithmic suppression, review manipulation, retaliatory spoliation, and Biden White House government-induced “Do Not Promote” censorship agenda that destroyed his livelihood and silenced his patriotic creative expression. This action is filed under Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 1–2), Section 3 of the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. § 14), the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (Fla. Stat. § 501.201 et seq.), and related federal antitrust, fair trade, and commerce laws, as well as state law claims for breach of contract, tortious interference, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and exploitation of a vulnerable adult under Florida Statute § 415.1111. On September 15, 2025, Plaintiff sent a formal Preservation of Records Notice (Exhibit A) to all Defendants, requesting only that they preserve evidence. Within 72 hours — by September 18, 2025 — Defendant Amazon retaliated with a clear, deliberate assault: deleted additional valid 5-star customer reviews, removed the newly released edition, reactivated the original banned and censored edition without restoring any prior rankings or reviews, and further intensified suppression. This was not moderation; this was willful retaliation and spoliation in direct response to a lawful request to preserve evidence. The ongoing suppression and manipulation that began in 2023 and continues to the date of this sequence of events — a narrow preservation request followed by immediate, coordinated retaliation and evidence destruction — is not mere coincidence; it constitutes direct evidence of consciousness of guilt and supports a plausible inference of coordinated agreement under Twombly and Iqbal. Such conduct warrants spoliation sanctions, adverse inferences, and monetary penalties under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(e) and the common-law spoliation doctrine. See Zubulake v. UBS Warburg, 220 F.R.D. 212 (S.D.N.Y. 2003); Flury v. Daimler Chrysler Corp., 427 F.3d 939 (11th Cir. 2005). This complaint incorporates recent evidence of "jawboning" practices, where government entities pressure private tech platforms to censor content, as documented in U.S. Department of Justice antitrust proceedings, Supreme Court rulings (including Murthy v. Missouri (2024) and NRA v. Vullo (established coercion precedent from Vullo (2024), which remains binding for injunctive relief), with 2025-2026 remand developments), and parallel censorship events involving conservative or politically sensitive material reaffirms that government officials violate the First Amendment when they use threats, inducements, or other forms of coercion to pressure private entities into suppressing disfavored speech. This coercion framework, rooted in Bantam Books v. Sullivan, 372 U.S. 58 (1963), directly applies here. Additional references from ongoing discussions and analyses (e.g., Senate hearings, Zuckerberg admissions, and antitrust precedents) further substantiate a pattern of coordinated suppression targeting independent creators with patriotic or conservative-aligned themes. Temporal proximity and platform parallels support plausible inference of agreement.
“This isn't about Disability or just one book! This is about Integrity, Honesty and American Values of Free Speech and Free Markets. My life has always been about Ability… This is not moderation — this is coordinated destruction of an independent creator’s voice and livelihood.”
— Kris Courtney
Stand for the First Amendment
Free speech is not optional. Censorship by powerful institutions — especially when influenced by government pressure — is illegal and un-American. WHEREFORE, Plaintiff Kris Courtney respectfully requests that this Court enter judgment in his favor and against Defendants Google LLC, Amazon.com, Inc., and Meta Platforms, Inc., jointly and severally, and grant the following relief: A. A declaratory judgment that Defendants have violated Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 1–2), Section 3 of the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. § 14), the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (Fla. Stat. § 501.201 et seq.), and related federal antitrust, fair trade, and commerce laws, as well as state law claims for breach of contract, tortious interference, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and exploitation of a vulnerable adult under Florida Statute § 415.1111. B. Actual damages in the amount of $18,175,000; C. Treble damages in the amount of $54,525,000 pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 15; D. Compensatory and punitive damages for tortious interference and intentional infliction of emotional distress including under Count VIII for exploitation of a vulnerable adult.; Punitive damages to the extent permitted by law for willful, malicious, or reckless conduct demonstrated through evidence discovery.
