A coalition of seven press and civil liberties organizations is urging Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s administration to stop sending routine questions from Sinclair-affiliated news outlets to lawyers for review, warning that the practice could undermine government transparency and amount to retaliation. In a letter to the administration, the groups said Moore’s defamation dispute with David Smith should not affect how state agencies handle media inquiries. Smith is Sinclair’s executive chairman and the principal owner of The Baltimore Sun. The groups urged Moore to treat the lawsuit as a personal matter and ensure media requests do not get trapped in what they called a legal-review “black hole.” The coalition includes the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Committee to Protect Journalists. A Moore spokesperson rejected the groups’ characterization. “There is no blanket refusal to engage,” Ammar Moussa said, adding that state agencies and the governor’s office had answered dozens of questions from Sinclair outlets in the preceding week. He said legal review of inquiries was “basic due diligence” while the governor faces a lawsuit. The dispute comes as Moore’s administration is defending against Smith’s suit, filed this summer. Smith alleges Moore defamed him during an appearance on MSNOW’s “The Weeknight,” where the governor said Smith “had been invested in” by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and accused him of using The Baltimore Sun to promote President Donald Trump’s message. Moore’s lawyers have asked a court to dismiss the case, arguing that his remarks were privileged and that he has legal immunity. State officials last week approved a contract providing $50,000 in taxpayer funds for a law firm to represent the governor in the case. The Sun has reported that its journalists received a response saying inquiries from Sinclair-affiliated outlets would be sent to the state’s legal team because of Smith’s lawsuit, with answers to follow after review. The same message was sent to journalists at Baltimore’s FOX45 News, Washington, D.C.’s 7News and Spotlight on Maryland, a reporting collaboration involving the stations and The Sun. The press groups said the practice was especially troubling given Moore’s recent criticism of Trump’s decision to bar journalists from some outlets from the White House. Seth Stern, the Freedom of the Press Foundation’s chief of advocacy, said government delays in responding to news organizations ultimately harm Maryland residents who rely on public information. Stern also said that, regardless of the groups’ views on Smith’s lawsuit, the case should not become a reason for state agencies to evade questions from newsrooms. The coalition said Moore could respond publicly to coverage he considers unfair rather than subjecting inquiries to additional legal review.