Whitney Wild, Sarah Moon, and Holly Yan report for CNN:
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation announced on Wednesday that the items seized during the raid of a small town’s newspaper office and the publisher’s home will be returned, putting an end to days of national controversy.
Bernie Rhodes, attorney for the Marion County Record, revealed that the local prosecutor has agreed to withdraw the search warrant executed on the newspaper and will return all the seized items. This move comes in response to demands from press freedom advocates who strongly condemned the police action.
Eric Meyer, co-owner and publisher of the Marion County Record, believes that the raid was prompted by a story the newspaper published about local business owner Kari Newell. However, authorities stated that they were conducting an investigation into “identity theft” based on the search warrant.
The raid at the Marion County Record resulted in the seizure of computers, cell phones, and other materials, according to Meyer.
Marion County prosecutor Joel Ensey explained his decision to request the return of the seized items in a statement. He reviewed the warrant applications and concluded that insufficient evidence exists to establish a legally sufficient connection between the alleged crime and the places searched and items seized.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation plans to continue its independent investigation and will coordinate with the Marion County Record to promptly return all seized items.
Eric Meyer shared that his mother, Joan Meyer, co-owner of the Marion County Record, passed away the day after the police raided her home. He believes the stress from the raid contributed to her death.
The Events Leading Up to the Raid
Earlier this month, Eric Meyer and his reporter, Phyllis Zorn, were asked to leave Kari’s Kitchen, a coffee shop operated by Kari Newell, during a public meeting event with US Rep. Jake LaTurner. Meyer stated that even though it was a public event, they were forced to leave at the request of Newell, who did not want the media present.
Meyer then received a tip about Newell allegedly driving without a valid driver’s license for a traffic offense in 2008. Newell confirmed asking Meyer and his reporter to leave the event, expressing that she believed the newspaper twisted comments in the community. She accused the Marion County Record of unlawfully obtaining and sharing information that was only accessible to law enforcement, private investigators, and insurance agencies.
Following the publication of the article, Newell was surprised to learn about the raid on Friday, stating that she did not see it coming.
Unprecedented Action
Meyer described the raid as something he had never witnessed before in America. He referred to it as an “atomic flyswatter,” suggesting that he and his newspaper were targeted and attacked by law enforcement. Meyer claimed that the entirety of Marion County’s law enforcement was involved in the raid.
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