DOJ Lawyers Refuse Written Communication in Journalist Prosecution Case
The New Republic reports that Department of Justice lawyers are refusing to put certain information in writing, fearing it could be used against them in court. This stems from the prosecution of two journalists, including Georgia Ellyse Fort, over their coverage of an anti-ICE protest in Minnesota. Fort faces three felonies, including a hate crime. Her defense accuses the government of spying, and a judge has barred the use of toll records and cell phone simulators. A Homeland Security Investigations agent allegedly used customs summonses to gather information on Fort. In a letter, Fort's lawyers noted a phone call with DOJ lawyer Ned Hedley, who indicated the government would not respond in writing out of concern that statements could be presented to the court. The article suggests this behavior indicates the Trump administration may be hiding illegal activities, undermining the government's case against the journalists.
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Reports are grouped by semantic similarity and deterministic rules. Language models may assist titles, summaries, translation and cross-source analysis; the page itself is projected from evidence records.
- Current automated evidence projection