ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WBFF) — When President Donald Trump barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House this month, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore framed the fight as a constitutional one.
“The president continues to use the Constitution like it is a suggestion box simply because he does not like the coverage,” Moore told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sept. 20.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 22: Governor of Maryland Wes Moore speaks onstage during the Clinton Global Initiative 2026 Annual Meeting at New York Hilton Midtown on September 22, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative)
Four days later, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly temporarily ordered the White House to restore the outlets’ credentials. Kelly found the organizations were likely to succeed on their due-process claim.
The broader First Amendment fight remains unresolved.
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However, back in Maryland, Moore and his administration have faced their own, distinct questions about press access, transparency, and whether critical coverage affects how information flows from state government to the public.
Maryland has not imposed a White House-style physical ban, but Spotlight on Maryland’s reporting shows narrower barriers, including unanswered questions, limited opportunities to question the governor and, most recently, inquiries routed through legal review.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott holds a weekly media availability, a practice he has publicly described as occurring every week. Moore does not offer journalists a comparable standing weekly question-and-answer session.Scott has repeatedly referred to his weekly press conferences, including when discussing his administration’s public-safety record.
Since Spotlight on Maryland launched in November 2024, the collaborative investigative news project has repeatedly sought an on-camera interview with Moore but has not secured one. Moore has answered the project’s questions at news conferences and public events, sometimes only after a reporter’s shouted question.
HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND – MARCH 23: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore attends a roundtable on March 23, 2026 in Hagerstown, Maryland. Moore and Rep. April McClain-Delaney (D-MD) held a meeting with Washington County community leaders to discuss their concerns about a planned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention warehouse near Williamsport, Maryland as part of the Trump administration’s expansion of holding facilities across the country. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Spotlight on Maryland has previously reported that Moore repeatedly declined sit-down interviews while giving interviews to other local and national outlets.
The relationship has also become openly adversarial.
Moore and his aides have at times responded to unfavorable reporting by attacking the reporting, its premise, or the news organization itself. In April, before publishing a Spotlight on Maryland investigation into his biography and military record, Moore called The Sun “the paper of the right wing.”
In a separate dispute after The Baltimore Banner reported lawmakers’ account of private discussions about reparations legislation, Moore’s chief of staff called parts of that account “lies” and “inaccurate.”
While those responses do not, in themselves, restrict press freedom, they raise questions about what happens when criticism of coverage intersects with access to public information.
That question sharpened this summer after Baltimore media executive David D. Smith sued Moore personally for defamation and false light regarding statements from a June MS NOW interview.
Smith is executive chairman of Sinclair, Inc., which owns Spotlight on Maryland, FOX45 News, and 7News. He separately co-owns The Baltimore Sun. Neither the television stations nor the newspaper is a plaintiff.
Moore alleged Jeffrey Epstein invested personally in Smith. Smith’s private attorneys twice demanded an apology or evidence before filing suit.
FILE: The Baltimore Sun newspaper featuring a Spotlight on Maryland investigation on the front page. (Steve Pierce/Spotlight on Maryland)
According to the civil lawsuit, companies allegedly linked to Epstein held about 0.063% of Sinclair stock. The lawsuit further stated that the investment was purportedly made between 13 and 24 years ago.
Smith’s attorney wrote that the alleged investments did not establish a personal relationship with Smith or other shareholders.
After the suit was filed, reporters from Spotlight on Maryland, FOX45 News and 7News began receiving the same response from executive-branch agencies: because of Smith’s lawsuit, their requests were being sent to a legal team for review.
Reporters raised questions about prisons, juvenile justice, child welfare, vulnerable adults, government benefits and data centers—subjects unrelated to the defamation case.
State employees told Spotlight on Maryland that the governor’s office directed the standardized language. Moore’s communications director, David Turner, denied that Moore personally ordered it but did not answer whether members of the governor’s staff issued the directive. Turner said the administration could not comment because of pending litigation.
Weeks later, when Spotlight asked about Moore’s data-center position and Maryland’s energy demands, Turner again said the questions required legal review: “We’ll get back to you once that’s finished.”
HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND – MARCH 23: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore waits in a holding room before joining a roundtable on March 23, 2026 in Hagerstown, Maryland. Moore and Rep. April McClain-Delaney (D-Md.) held a meeting with Washington County community leaders to discuss their concerns about a planned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention warehouse near Williamsport, Maryland as part of the Trump administration’s expansion of holding facilities across the country. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Spotlight asked Friday and Monday for an interview with Moore about his national comments on press freedom. His office did not respond.
Rebecca Snyder, executive director of the MDDC Press Association, said the stakes generally extend beyond journalists because the news media serve as a stand-in for the public.
There are no special dispensations or access that is given to the press,” said Snyder, adding that ordinary Marylanders can also use the Public Information Act.
When press freedoms erode, she said, the effects reach the public’s ability to understand and engage with government.
Snyder’s organization raised separate concerns in January after credentialed reporters arrived at the Maryland State House and learned, without notice, that access procedures had changed. Snyder said the move appeared rooted in security concerns, but reporters had been “blindsided,” creating “material effects” on newsgathering.
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND – AUGUST 21: The Maryland State House is seen on August 21, 2023 in Annapolis, Maryland. The Maryland State House is the oldest U.S. State Capitol that is still in continuous legislative use in present days since 1772. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
She said the issue has improved but is not completely resolved.
The friction between Moore and some Maryland media outlets has lasted more than a year and predates Smith’s lawsuit.
In March, during Moore’s Hagerstown roundtable over a proposed federal immigration detention facility, reporters were asked to leave for most of the discussion so participants could “speak freely.”
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Afterward, Spotlight questioned Moore about military and academic records he had not released while criticizing the federal government for what he called a lack of transparency.
We continue to show transparency on everything and all things,” Moore said.
His office said it would provide more records. Months later, Spotlight reported that the full files still had not been released.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 21: Maryland Governor Wes Moore takes part in stage testing ahead of the start of the third day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center on August 21, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic party supporters are in Chicago for the convention, concluding with current Vice President Kamala Harris accepting her party’s presidential nomination. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Speaking generally, Snyder said public information has long been difficult to obtain, and legal review can be legitimate, but in a fast-moving news cycle, process can become a barrier.
“Everyone is really into transparency until it applies to them,” Snyder said, adding that reviews can sometimes “roll out the clock.”
Send news tips about this story or others to gmcollins@sbgtv.com or contact Spotlight on Maryland’s hotline at (410) 467-4670.
Follow Gary Collins on X and Instagram. Spotlight on Maryland is a collaboration between FOX45 News, WJLA in Washington, D.C., and The Baltimore Sun.
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