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2021-06-06 -Lurid Crime Tales-

USA TODAY fights FBI subpoena for readers' data from report on shooting that killed two agents

[MSN] USA Today is fighting an FBI
FBI

...Formerly one of the world's premier criminal investigation organizations, something for a nation to be proud of. Now it's a political arm of the Deep State oligarchy that is willing to trump up charges, suppress evidence, or take out insurance policies come election time...
demand for information related to readers who accessed a report on the newspaper's website earlier this year about a shooting in which two agents were killed during a search at a Florida apartment.

The FBI made the request via subpoena to USA Today's owner, Gannett, in April. The agency sought information including the IP addresses and mobile identification information of people who accessed the Feb. 2 article about the agents during a 35-minute window. After Gannett objected to disclosing the subpoenaed records, the FBI confirmed on May 25 it had received the response, and the company moved to quash the subpoena as unconstitutional, according to a May 28 court filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

"Being forced to tell the government who reads what on our websites is a clear violation of the First Amendment," said USA Today publisher Maribel Perez Wadsworth. "The FBI’s subpoena asks for private information about the readers of our journalism. We have asked the court to quash the subpoena to protect the important relationship and trust between USA Today’s readers and our journalists."

USA Today was among several news outlets that covered the story centered on agents Daniel Alfin, 36, and Laura Schwartzenberger, 43, who were killed after a man, identified by authorities as David Huber, opened fire on them as they approached his Fort Lauderdale apartment on the morning of Feb. 2. Three other agents were maimed in the shooting. The agents were serving a search warrant in a child pornography investigation.

Huber, 55, took his own life shortly after killing the agents.

Last month, Charles Tobin, the attorney for the firm that represents Gannett, informed the FBI his client objected to turning over the records in a letter written to the agent who made the request.

Tobin cited First Amendment protections in his reasoning and noted that agents did not follow standard procedural policies in their request. The Justice Department typically asks law enforcement to first notify and negotiate with media members whose records they seek and to get approval from the U.S. attorney general.

Posted by Fred 2021-06-06 00:00|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 Hilarious considering USA Today is a bought and paid for PR shill for the FBI.

I wonder if they will finally publish Crissy Wray's collection of J Hoover's boy boy paintings?
Snark off.

Posted by Woodrow 2021-06-06 00:57|| 2021-06-06 00:57|| Front Page Top

#2 USA Today trying to quash a subpoena because it's unconstitutional and violates the 1st Amendment?

Constitutional? Oh that old document. Who pays attention to that anymore? Biden says we are not going to snoop on reporters anymore. Yup, we're not going to do that anymore. Wink, wink, wink.

Posted by JohnQC 2021-06-06 09:30|| 2021-06-06 09:30|| Front Page Top

#3 I would expect USA Today to loudly fight the subpoena while quietly leaking the info to the feds. That way, they get to have their virtue cake AND not piss off their sources.

Posted by SteveS 2021-06-06 13:25|| 2021-06-06 13:25|| Front Page Top

#4 USA Today just needs to send over Humper Biden’s IP address and watch this entire request disappear.

Posted by Airandee 2021-06-06 14:01|| 2021-06-06 14:01|| Front Page Top

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