The newspaper denied her claims and insisted that it had not acquired the information illegally.
The town’s five-officer police force, along with two sheriff’s deputies, executed the search warrant at the Marion County Record.
The police raid quickly drew the attention of advocates for the First Amendment, sparking outrage over what they saw as an attack on press freedom.
The legality and ethical implications of the raid have come under scrutiny. Law enforcement’s seizure of computers, cell phones, and records from the newspaper’s premises has also raised concerns about privacy violations.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, alongside numerous news organizations including CNN, The Associated Press, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, has written a letter urging the return of the seized materials and demanding an independent review of the police department’s actions.
Newspaper questions Police motives
The police chief defended the raid as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into “identity theft” and “unlawful acts concerning computers.”
