Full text of my subpoena from the Department of Homeland Security

Chris,
First off, I’m so sorry to hear of this happening to you. I can’t imagine the stress that this has placed in your life. You know from reading all of these posts that you’re supported and thought of.

Get a lawyer. It’s been said already, but it bears repeating: get a Federal lawyer. ACLU might be a good place to start.

If you need to, set up a legal defense fund. We’ll help you out.

Take things one day at a time, and try to not let this interrupt your life too much. You’ve obviously hit a nerve, and rightly so. The TSA is a bunch of morons who ought to be ashamed of the way they’ve abused their power and wasted our tax money. So good for you for exposing their idiocy. Hang in there, and know that you were in the right.

TO BAD YOU DIDN’T LIVE IN CHINA, I BELIEVE THEY HAVE MORE RIGHTS THAN US NOW. SURE AM GLAD, BUSH GOT RID OF THE NASTY LITTLE PAPER CALLED THE CONSITUTION WE REALLY DIDN’T NEED IT. OH ,AND NOW THE GOVERMENT CAN SEE ME NAKED WITH MY CLOTHES ON JOY. HEAVEN FORBID THEY USE COMMON SENSE LIKE RACIAL PROFILING, OH DID I SAY A BAD WORD. I’M DISGUSTED THAT AMERICA’S DON’T EVEN SEE WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON WAKE UP.

I’d just shred that subpoena and use it as kitty litter.

The jurors who established the right to Jury Nullification in English Common Law had to do jail time. If liberty and limited government is worth the fight, then compose your soul and steel yourself for the fight no matter the cost. The other option is statism and an all powerful government. If you prefer that choice, then roll over and give them everything they want.

So Obama wants to open a new center to declassify everything and his party said nothing when anti terrorism intel was leaked during the Bush admin and now want to subpoena you? This really fits along with all their other hypocrisies.

Anyone who thinks that this subpoena poses an explicit or implicit “threat” to bloggers is, sorry to say, an idiot and/or full of themselves.

I don’t agree with the directives in the memo, but that’s beside the point. There is a leak in the TSA. On the whole, that’s not a good thing to have. For me, that’s the beginning and the end of the argument. They are doing what they should be doing.

Hey Randy…

You know when radio was first invented or TV for that matter some idiot probably said equally as stupid things about the reporters on those mediums too!

Phah… “I dont know why that are calling these “Radio journalists” reporters anyway”

Keep up or dont turn your computer on tomorrow and save a headache!

S

Chris -

Count me in for a legal defense fund donation! The work you do is invaluable for travelers everywhere, so I’m happy to toss a few bucks in the pot to ease the strain of legal costs. That being said, I should also note that I’m surprised the TSA would make such a boneheaded move – they should know by now that aggressively going after a popular citizen journalist is fraught with peril.

From a professional standpoint (I’m a senior PR executive), the worst thing that the TSA could’ve done was to appear threatening to you in any way, which is exactly what they’ve accomplished with their subpoena. It gives you a solid bully pulpit from which to preach from, and raises the spectre of a shadowy underhanded government that has something to hide. In other words, from a PR perspective, it’s a lose-lose situation for the TSA (and their Homeland Security overlords).

I hope you stand firm and fight the good fight here; you’ve got all of your loyal readers behind you.

PS: Email me if you need any assistance PR-wise. :)

Would they have gone after the NYT or the WaPo had they released the docs? Are only ‘approved’ media outlets allowed confidentiality? The Feds seem more interested in CYA and punishing Americans who speak freely rather than going after the SOB’s who would do us harm.

I’d do the same thing you did — I’d tell him I’d call my attorney and get back to him. Scary to Big Brother come knocking on your door like that….

Dear Chris,

Just a few words of advice.

You can listen to most of the comments or you can reflect on the experience of Judith Miller, which by the way, none of your supporters will have the opportunity to experience for you. There are no Federal shield laws for corporate journalist even with deep pockets and legions of lawyers on retainers, much less a blogger.

If President Obama has 100% confidence in Janet Napolitano, then I have 0% confidence in him. Chris, please organize a petition to escort miss Napolitano toward a forced resignation. It’s time that DHS is headed by someone who has a set of qualifications and a brain to match the demands of the job. The ignorance, incompetence and now the silencing penalty against the press is begging for a grassroots pitchforks and torches revolt to force these fools to step down before more people die due to their ineptitude.

Given the circumstances, don’t you think it is reasonable for them to obtain this information? Normally I would say too bad, but anybody leaking security information which is usually classified, may have leaked it because they wanted it known by their terrorist friends. That would be treason, and it is important to identify the leak before they can leak more sensative information.

If you really want to make a political statement, then give them the information they ask for, and attach a civilized threat to it, such as threatening to go public with all data and material.

I honestly dont think they want anything other than to secure a potential serious security leak.

Not satisfied with trampling on the rights of traveling Americans and shredding the Constitution and the rights guaranteed to us under the Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, now the TSA wants to go after the FIRST Amendment? They want to silence the press? They threaten a JOURNALIST for publishing less than flattering remarks about them? Gee, I guess me calling the TSA “The New American Gestapo” is even more appropriate.

These people don’t keep us safe, they create and maintain a climate of fear. As long as that fear is maintained, it justifies their existence. It’s time for that fear to END.

I’d contact the person who gave you the information and ask them what they think, of course you know your phones are being monitored right? That lawyer may also be a good idea.

I have to thank you for what you do for me and the countless other photographers as we travel and keeping us up to date on what is happening, what we can and what we can not do. I hope this continues throughout 2010. I’d rather read it here then call an airport and get 200 voice-mails and fly uninformed!

LB

I wonder if the fact of this blog being read by tens of thousands of people had anything to do with Mr. Flaherty using ‘sir’ a lot?

I would sit down and watch “Nothing But`the Truth.”

Sailor

Woah. Ignoring the fact that there is no current Administrator of the TSA (appointment pending), this was signed by Department Counsel? Was there or was there not a judge who approved this subpoena?