FBI Raid of James O'Keefe's House Is a Blow to Press Freedom

The FBI searched the home of James O'Keefe—a conservative activist who films undercover videos for his organization, Project Veritas—on Saturday, reportedly because law enforcement wants to know how O'Keefe came to possess a diary allegedly stolen from Ashley Biden, President Joe Biden's daughter. The FBI also searched the homes of two O'Keefe associates.

There's still much more to learn about the reasons for the search, but what we do know is troubling and potentially objectionable on the grounds of press freedom. O'Keefe has claimed that he received the diary from a source; Project Veritas did not publish it, though some leaked pages eventually appeared on a right-wing website. According to O'Keefe, he handed the diary over to law enforcement last year. Per The New York Times: