Shiva Ayyadurai, an independent candidate for the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts, has filed a lawsuit against the Belmont News Foundation, which publishes The Belmont Voice, alleging unfair coverage of his campaign. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Belmont, claims the nonprofit news outlet engaged in civil rights violations and “unfair and deceptive trade practices” by failing to provide equitable coverage of his Senate bid against incumbent Senator Ed Markey.
Ayyadurai, a Belmont resident and entrepreneur with multiple degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, contends that The Belmont Voice has shown a “consistent pattern of discriminatory disrespect, racial gatekeeping, and bad-faith minimization” toward his campaign. He argues that the outlet provided disproportionate coverage to Markey and John Deaton, the Republican nominee, while marginalizing his own candidacy. The lawsuit calls for the newspaper to publish an “equal, unedited feature profile” of Ayyadurai before Election Day and to send a dedicated email blast presenting his full campaign platform. It also seeks undisclosed compensatory damages.
In the opening weeks of the election cycle, Ayyadurai said his campaign contacted The Belmont Voice regarding its coverage plans. According to the lawsuit, Jesse Floyd, the outlet’s editor in chief and a named defendant, assured Ayyadurai in an August email that the newspaper would “expand to include other candidates” during the general election. After the outlet published a story focusing on Deaton, Ayyadurai requested an interview, but said subsequent communication from the paper’s board chair, indicating that further coverage was planned, amounted to “constructive candidate exclusion.” Ayyadurai also cited what he described as disrespectful behavior, including referring to him as “Mr. Ayyadurai” rather than “Dr. Ayyadurai” or “Dr. SHIVA,” titles he uses in his campaign materials.
The Belmont News Foundation issued a statement on Thursday dismissing the lawsuit as “baseless” and “frivolous,” emphasizing that it will defend its editorial independence vigorously. The board expressed concern over the financial burden of the litigation on its nonprofit operations and affirmed that it would not be “intimidated by outside pressure.” The Belmont Voice has a free circulation to approximately 11,000 homes in Belmont.
Legal experts note that the First Amendment offers broad protections to the press in editorial decisions. Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, said governments and politicians should not intervene in news coverage. “Just as the First Amendment protects our right to critique local news coverage, it also protects an editor’s right to report on public issues in a way they alone see fit,” Silverman remarked.
Ayyadurai has a history of legal action related to his public profile. He previously sued news organizations over disputes linked to his claims of inventing email and challenged Cambridge city officials’ enforcement actions regarding campaign signage in 2018, alleging First Amendment violations. His political pursuits include multiple runs for public office—including campaigns for U.S. Senate in 2018 and 2020 and a 2024 presidential bid—though he has garnered only modest electoral support.
This latest lawsuit marks an intensified effort by Ayyadurai to address his concerns over media representation amid a contentious election season in Massachusetts.