** PRESS RELEASE**
JOSHUA FREED’S VICTORY SHATTERS INSLEE’S UNCONSTITUTIONAL EXECUTIVE ORDER
BOTHELL, WA
(May 8, 2020) -- Joshua Freed won a major victory in federal court this afternoon when the Governor was forced to concede before a federal judge that he cannot enforce his blanket ban on in-person religious gatherings of any size. The favorable development comes nearly one week after Freed filed an emergency temporary restraining order in the Western District of Washington against Governor Jay Inslee’s unconstitutional order.
“We successfully ended enforcement of the blanket ban on religious gatherings regardless of size by forcing the Governor to admit in open court that he cannot and will not enforce his order against ordinary citizens who just want to meet and pray”, said Joshua Freed. “This is a very important victory for our constitutional rights and for those of faith where exercising their religion is essential.”
Freed has called the governor’s executive orders against constitutionally protected religious liberties “discriminatory, unscientific, and unconstitutional.”
“Joshua Freed stared down the Governor and he blinked. After more than two weeks of stalling and 146 pages of legalese, Governor Inslee was forced to concede (under pointed questioning by a federal judge) that he cannot enforce his own order banning religious gathering regardless of size,” said Freed’s attorney, Mark Lamb.
Prior to today’s victory, Inslee’s order banned even one-on-one meetings for prayer and Bible study. Freed’s victory has ended the standoff between him and the Governor over this issue and Freed continues to seek to protect the right of churches, synagogues and mosques to meet in safe numbers if the participants practice social distancing.
“We can’t continue to be governed by press releases or TV interviews. There is a very real cost of COVID-19. But there is also a very real cost - to our society, our economy and our lives - of the Governor acting with impunity under this lock-down. Today that all ends.”
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Joshua Freed is the leading GOP candidate for Governor. Freed has been endorsed by numerous local officials around the state and several elected officials of the Washington State legislature. Freed is a successful entrepreneur and former mayor of the city of Bothell and most recently led the fight against heroin injection sites in King County. He and his wife Lindie, along with their five children live in Bothell. For more information, please visit
www.freedforgovernor.com
