PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement on Holt v. Florissant Fire Protection District
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (July 7, 2026)—Mountain States Legal Foundation is disappointed by today’s decision from the Tenth Circuit affirming the dismissal of Erik Holt’s First Amendment claim.
This case asks whether public employees can speak candidly with law enforcement about potential government misconduct without fearing retaliation. We believe they should.
Mr. Holt cooperated with a criminal investigation into alleged election irregularities. Rather than protecting that cooperation, today’s decision concludes that because he provided information through his role as Fire Chief, his speech falls outside the protections of the First Amendment.
We respectfully disagree. The First Amendment exists to encourage truth-telling and accountability, not to punish public servants for cooperating with investigations into potential wrongdoing.
Although we are disappointed by today’s ruling, Mountain States Legal Foundation remains committed to defending the constitutional rights of Americans. We are grateful to Erik Holt for his willingness to stand for those principles throughout this litigation.
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Mountain States Legal Foundation (MSLF) is a nonprofit, public-interest legal firm established in 1977. MSLF is dedicated to individual liberty, limited and ethical government, and the benefits of the free enterprise system. MSLF defends its clients through pro bono litigation and seeks victory for its clients at the highest level possible to establish binding legal precedents to benefit millions of Americans. Through its litigation and public discourse, MSLF educates the American public on the threat unrestrained government presents to our liberties. Learn more at mslegal.org
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