A key state senator who’s been critical of the New York Court of Appeals, suggesting its overall profile has been sullied in recent years by a rightward shift, is now asserting it made a political and retaliatory decision to reject his request to file a friend-of-the-court brief in a high-profile defamation case filed by music producer Dr. Luke against pop singer Kesha.

State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, D-Manhattan, authored a 2020 law change aimed at broadening free speech protections from SLAPP lawsuits in New York.