I had a column over the weekend about the FBI’s startling execution of court-authorized search warrants against locations connected to Project Veritas. Run by the edgy James O’Keefe, PV does investigative reporting that targets Democrats and the political Left. The case is alarming because (a) the bureau appears to be investigating journalists despite free-press concerns, and (b) documents seized by the government have been leaked to the mainstream media.
Specifically, the New York Times published the materials, despite the damage not only to the journalists’ First Amendment rights but also to their right to counsel. The seized materials include advice that PV’s lawyers have given regarding the legality of information-gathering methods. The Times included this advice in its reporting — choosing to expose PV’s internal deliberations rather than protect the confidentiality of PV’s attorney-client communications.
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