Libertarians Condemn Raid on Independent Journalist, Support Press Freedom and Government Transparency

Responding to press reports about a joint SFPD-FBI raid on Bryan Carmody, a local journalist, today, the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of San Francisco, as authorized by its members, passed a resolution in support of journalism, freedom of the press, journalist shield laws, and government transparency.

 

This resolution follows a statement by Libertarian National Committee Chair Nicholas Sarwark on April 11th calling for the dismissal of charges against Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange, who was dragged out of the Equadorian Embassy in London to face extradition to the US and possible torture and execution for his reporting on war crimes. National Libertarian Party Platform Plank 1.2 states "We support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship, regulation, or control of communications, media, and technology."

 

Said LPSF Treasurer and independent journalist, Thomas Busse, who proposed the motion "This comes in the context of a massive wave of deplatforming, online censorship and self-censorship, and in the age of the internet, we are all journalists. We should never become complacent in our freedoms - including freedom of the press. Although there are major problems with American media due to consolidation and gatekeeping, some of the most vital work is being done by freelancers and smaller local news outlets. The raid on Mr. Carmody should be a wakeup call that the authorities presume it is somehow OK to attack the press and civil liberties here in San Francisco, and we need to stand firm in opposition."

 

The full text of the resolution:

 

Resolution Condemning the Raid on Journalist Bryan Carmody's Home and Office
in Connection with the Leak of the Adachi Police Report

14 May, 2019

Whereas independent voices responsive to the people are needed in a democracy to inform the voters of abuses of power by those vested with authority;

Whereas California government code Section 54950 states, “the people in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for them to know and what is good for them not to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created”;

Whereas the California Constitution’s Sunshine Amendment, The California Journalist Shield Law, and the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance establish principles of transparency in government and freedom of the press;

Whereas the circumstances surrounding the death of San Francisco public defender Jeff Adachi are a State and local affair outside the scope of the delegated powers of the Federal constitution;

Whereas the United States Supreme Court found in Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins that the California Constitution can establish broader rights and freedoms than enshrined by the first Amendment in the Federal Constitution;

Whereas secret grand juries, knockless searches on journalists, the seizure of their business and personal property, judge and venue shopping, and law enforcement threats create a chilling effect on freedom of the press in their service to the public;

Whereas law enforcement at all levels of government have a long and dark history of infringing on civil liberties through entrapment by process crimes such as “obstruction of justice”, and

Whereas in an age of internet publishing We are all journalists,

It is Resolved by the Libertarian Party of San Francisco to express its severe concern over press reports regarding SFPD and Federal raids on journalist Bryan Carmody and the seizure of the tools needed to earn his living;

It is Further Resolved a copy of this resolution shall be sent to the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Department of Justice, the San Francisco Police Department, the Office of the Mayor, and to news outlets in Northern California.

Mover: Thomas Busse, LPSF Secretary, [email protected]
Seconders: Nick Smith, LPSF Chair, [email protected]