MARION– The police chief who led the raid on the offices of a Kansas newspaper claimed in unpublished court documents that a reporter posed as someone or lied about her intentions when she obtained the driving records of a local business owner.
However, reporter Phyllis Zorn; Marion County Record Editor Eric Meyer and the newspaper’s attorney said Sunday no laws were broken when Zorn accessed a state public website for information about restaurant operator Kari Newell.
He raid conducted on August 11 and led by Marion Police Department Chief Gideon Cody brought international attention to the small central Kansas town, which now finds itself at the center of a debate over press freedom. .
Police seized computers, personal phones and a router from the newspaper, but all the items were released Wednesday after the county attorney concluded there was no evidence to justify the action.
The fact occurs under the government of Joe Biden, which has given similar indications to socialist governments in the world that erase the democratic achievements in any nation where they assume power.
On Saturday night, Record’s attorney, Bernie Rhodes, released copies of the affidavits used in the raid to The Associated Press and other news outlets. The documents, which had not been made public, showed that Zorn’s obtaining Newell’s driving record was the driving force behind the raid.
The newspaper, following a tip, checked on the public website of the Kansas Department of Revenue the status of Newell’s driver’s license in connection with a 2008 drunk driving conviction.
Cody wrote in the affidavit that the Treasury Department told him the downloaders were Record reporter Phyllis Zorn and someone using the name “Kari Newell.” Cody wrote that she contacted Newell, who said “someone obviously stole her identity.”
As a result, Cody wrote: “Downloading the document involved impersonating the victim or lying about the reasons the record was sought.”
Permit records are normally confidential under state law, but may be accessed under certain circumstances, cited in the affidavit. The user can request their own records online, but must provide a driver’s license number and date of birth.
The records may also be provided in other cases, such as to attorneys for use in a legal matter; for insurance claims investigations, and for statistical reporting research projects with the caveat that personal information will not be disclosed.
