FBI raid on Columbia Pike targeted an ABC News producer, Rolling Stone reports

[mahatmakanejeeves]

NEWS

FBI raid on the Pike targeted an ABC News producer, Rolling Stone reports

ARLnow.com October 19, 2022 at 10:00am



FBI activity on Columbia Pike (courtesy John Antonelli) < 1/3 >

A national media outlet has shed some light on a mysterious FBI raid in Arlington earlier this year.

Rolling Stone reports that the raid on a Columbia Pike apartment building, which ARLnow first reported in April, targeted a well-known ABC News producer, James Gordon Meek.

Meek, an Emmy award winner who often broke investigative stories on the topic of national security for the TV network, has reportedly not been seen or heard from publically since the raid. His formerly active Twitter feed’s last tweet was 5 a.m. the morning of the raid, which targeted his apartment on the top floor of the Siena Park apartments at 2301 Columbia Pike, according to Rolling Stone.

From our reporting on April 27:

{snip}

The raid was initially brought to ARLnow’s attention by local resident John Antonelli, who is quoted in the magazine’s article.

{snip}

So far, according to Rolling Stone, Meek has not been charged, documents related to the case remain sealed, and it’s unclear why exactly he’s under investion. {sic} ... It is unusual for federal law enforcement to target a journalist, the magazine noted.

Meek has been charged with no crime. But independent observers believe the raid is among the first — and quite possibly, the first — to be carried out on a journalist by the Biden administration. A federal magistrate judge in the Virginia Eastern District Court signed off on the search warrant the day before the raid. If the raid was for Meek’s records, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco would have had to give her blessing; a new policy enacted last year prohibits federal prosecutors from seizing journalists’ documents. Any exception requires the deputy AG’s approval. (Gabe Rottman at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says, “To my knowledge, there hasn’t been a case [since January 2021].”)

{snip}

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Related to MAL documents?

Just a wild guess, but I would also think they'd not be targeting a journalist for anything that could be considered free speech or would infringe the rights of a free press. That would, rightfully, elicit howls from all corners of the political spectrum. Hence there must be a national security angle or at least a criminal angle. My bets on money or national security.

[viva la]

2. Any known connection to Trump?

Is it known what on-air reporters he produces?

And when they say he has "disappeared"-- what does that mean? Is he physically not there in the apartment? Is his family gone? Has a missing person report been filed? Does ABC News know anything about what happened? You'd think a news network would be reporting on this disappearance if they were afraid for his safety or didn't know where he was and in contact.

I wonder if he's gone into hiding with the knowledge (or the help) of the DOJ.

It's been a LONG time to be gone.

It's hard to believe anyone would go to this length if there was no danger. They've conducted searches of many people connected to Trump, and none have ever disappeared.