<p>A small-town newspaper in Kansas is raising First Amendment questions on a national level after local police raided its office and homes of staffers on Friday, seizing material linked to alleged identity theft violations.</p>
<p>Marion County Record, a family-owned weekly newspaper published in the midwestern state about 60 miles north of Wichita, was named in a search warrant signed by Marion County Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar on Friday morning, which alleges violations of identity theft and &#8220;unlawful acts concerning computers.&#8221; CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/13/us/kansas-marion-county-newspaper-police-raid/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.</p>
<p>Eric Meyer, co-owner and publisher of the paper founded more than 150 years ago in the small city of Marion, reportedly said four Marion police officers and three sheriff&#8217;s deputies seized personal cell phones, computers, and other materials at his home and Marion County Record office, including some unrelated equipment needed to publish.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our first priority is to be able to publish next week,&#8221; Meyer said. &#8220;But we also want to make sure no other news organization is ever exposed to the Gestapo tactics we witnessed today.&#8221;</p>
<p>Reporter Deb Gruver wrote in a post on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/deb.gruver/posts/pfbid02kTfHmRnP48mknEmNKywchzNT2oMH7ctYsJWD6TZCFxcV1mHgzuGfDPzyzcQFuvrZl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook</a> she had filed a report with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation that accused Marion, Kansas Police Chief Gideon Cody of re-injuring a previously dislocated finger after he allegedly &#8220;forcibly yanked&#8221; her cell phone from her hand.</p>
<p>&#8220;I thought I lived in the United States,&#8221; Gruver added.</p>
<p>Authorities also searched the home of its 98-year-old co-owner Joan Meyer, who died less than 24 hours later — after she collapsed from hours of &#8220;shock and grief&#8221; that caused her to lose sleep and not eat, the newspaper <a href="http://marionrecord.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.</p>
<p>According to the search warrant <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/police-in-kansas-execute-chilling-raid-on-small-town-newspaper-seizing-phones-and-computers-5461508" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by The Epoch Times, the judge authorized police to seize material related to identity theft allegations of Kari Newell, a local coffee shop business owner. The newspaper reportedly received a tip that Newell allegedly drives without a valid driver&#8217;s license after a traffic offense in 2008.</p>
<p>Although a reporter verified the information, Meyer told <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/11/police-stage-chilling-raid-on-marion-county-newspaper-seizing-computers-records-and-cellphones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local media</a> he decided not to publish the story. Instead, he notified the police based on suspicions of being set up by an unknown source. When authorities contacted Newell, she allegedly accused the Record at a city council meeting of illegally obtaining and disseminating personal information that only law enforcement, private investigators, and insurance agencies could access.</p>
<p>Meyer then published an article sequencing the timeline of events on Thursday, less than 24 hours before police executed the search warrant.</p>
<p>&#8220;Not only did they have information that was illegal for them to obtain in the manner in which they did, but they sent it out as well,&#8221; Newell told CNN, adding the paper published the story &#8220;strictly out of malice and retribution for me asking him to exit my establishment.&#8221;</p>
<p>Earlier this month, the publisher said he and reporter Phyllis Zorn went to Newell&#8217;s coffee shop for a public meeting event with US Representative Jake LaTurner (R-KS) but were told to leave by the local police chief at the request of Newell.</p>
<p>Newell reportedly said she asked Meyer and Zorn to leave out of concerns the constituents would face the risk of being misquoted by the Record, which she said: &#8220;has a long-standing reputation for twisting and contorting comments within our community.&#8221;</p>
<p>Newell described the situation to The New York Times as the Record violating her privacy rights instead of exercising the First Amendment.</p>
<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s a huge difference between vindictive and vindication,&#8221; Newell <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/13/business/media/kansas-marion-newspaper-police-raid.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;I firmly believe that this was a vindictive move, full of malice. And I hope, in the end, I receive vindication.&#8221;</p>
<p>But Meyer reportedly plans on suing the city of Marion and the individuals involved in the raid while raising constitutional concerns that federal law protects authorities from searching and seizing materials from journalists.</p>
<p>Although authorities typically need to obtain a subpoena to seize materials, Marion County police chief Cody told CNN that there are exceptions in limited circumstances to bypass a subpoena when &#8220;there is reason to believe the journalist is taking part in the underlying wrongdoing.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I believe when the rest of the story is available to the public, the judicial system that is being questioned will be vindicated,&#8221; Cody told The New York Times.</p>
<p>Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, called the move a dangerous attack on press freedom in the US.</p>
<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s a lot of healthy tension between the government and newspapers, but this?&#8221; Bradbury told The New York Times. &#8220;This is not right, this is wrong, this cannot be allowed to stand.&#8221;</p>
<p>Seth Stern, director of advocacy for Freedom of the Press Foundation, told CNN the raid appears to have violated federal law and is &#8220;the latest example of American law enforcement officers treating the press in a manner previously associated with authoritarian regimes.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Based on the reporting so far, the police raid of the Marion County Record on Friday appears to have violated federal law, the First Amendment, and basic human decency. Everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves,&#8221; Stern said.</p>

<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

First Amendment Concerns Raised After Police Seize Materials From Small-Town Kansas Newspaper Office And Staff Homes During Raid

CONTINUE READING

New Mexico Lawsuit Accuses Meta Platforms Of Enabling Child Sexual Abuse Material, Human Trafficking

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Accused Of Sex Trafficking, Raping Teenage Girl In Fourth Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Mayorkas Confirms FBI Warning, Says Blinking Red Lights Everywhere On Terror Threats

California Retailers Without ‘Gender Neutral’ Section For Kids Face Fines Up To $500 Under New State Law

WATCH: Top University Presidents Balk When Asked If Genocidal Chants Against Jews Violate Codes Of Conduct

Catholic Leaders Slam FBI Over ‘Illegitimate Targeting” Of Catholics As Bureau Defends Its Investigation

News

First Amendment

Freedom of the Press

Kansas

Police

U.S.

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Evening Wire: Lebanon Ceasefire Begins & Murder-Suicide Rocks VA | 4.16.26

The Pendragon Cycle

Menu

— News —

First Amendment Concerns Raised After Police Seize Materials From Small-Town Kansas Newspaper Office And Staff Homes During Raid