The Society of Professional Journalists joins Defending Rights & Dissent and more than 20 other press freedom and First Amendment organizations in calling on Congress to drop a subpoena for investigative journalist and author Seth Harp.
On Jan. 7, the day after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena Harp, author of “The Fort Bragg Cartel,” over a social media post in which he shared publicly available information. The post included a headshot and biography of a U.S. military colonel, which he identified as the commander of the U.S. Army’s Delta Force unit reported to have played a central role in the capture.
“There is zero question that Harp’s actions were fully and squarely within the protections of the First Amendment, as well as outside the scope of any federal criminal statutes,” the groups wrote.
The letter cites U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s social media posts as evidence that the subpoena lacks a legitimate legislative purpose, noting that she said Harp should “face accountability” because “the media has gotten away with too much for too long.”
“Press freedom, like all First Amendment rights, has come under some of the most sustained attacks in recent memory,” the letter states. “By issuing this subpoena, Congress is undermining one of the most cherished American freedoms.”
Signatories include:
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