Fetterman unblocks two critics on Twitter

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman on Thursday evening unblocked from his personal Twitter account two men who threatened to sue him.

Although Mr. Fetterman said earlier this week that he would not unblock Jason Lindemuth of Harrisburg and Sean Guay of Hummelstown, Pa., nor apologize for doing so, in his new decision he cited the waste in taxpayer dollars that might result from their potential lawsuit.

“You and your clients appear willing to squander taxpayer resources in this frivolous endeavor,” Mr. Fetterman said in a statement, addressed to Mr. Lindemuth and Mr. Guay’s attorney, Marc Scaringi. “My first instinct is to avoid this waste whenever possible. Your clients’ unblocked status will be revisited if they again target my family with unwelcomed postings on my personal Twitter account.”

Mr. Fetterman blocked Mr. Lindemuth and Mr. Guay on his personal Twitter account Feb. 11. Mr. Fetterman had posted a photo of his wife, Gisele, wearing a Brazilian Carnival outfit, and Mr. Lindemuth and Mr. Guay replied with messages that Mr. Fetterman called attempts to “shame” his wife.

Mr. Scaringi then sent a letter to Mr. Fetterman, demanding that he unblock the two men and offer an apology within seven days, or else a lawsuit would be filed against him on First Amendment grounds. Friday was the last day of that time frame.

Although Mr. Fetterman unblocked Mr. Lindemuth and Mr. Guay, he has stated that he still will not apologize.

“I am neither offering, nor requesting an apology and consider this matter closed,” he said.

In a response on Friday, Mr. Scaringi said Mr. Fetterman’s unblocking of his clients was a victory for free speech and that it would have been Mr. Fetterman using taxpayer funds, not his clients’, to defend against the threatened lawsuit.

“If the Lt Governor is concerned about the use of taxpayer resources by the judicial branch in adjudicating this dispute, that concern could have been, and apparently has been, easily avoided by the Lt. Governor simply unblocking the two men,” he said in a statement.

Mr. Scaringi also said Mr. Lindemuth and Mr. Guay are still considering a possible defamation lawsuit against Mr. Fetterman.