An FBI raid was conducted in the home of the CEO of Project Veritas in search of phones allegedly used by PV staff in illegaly obtaining Ashley Biden’s diary, Project Veritas asserted that the phones the FBI were looking for, contained First Amendment-protected newsgathering materials, and attorney-client privileged information. The First Amendment, according to the Supreme Court, gives newsmedia protection for newsgathering; but it does not allow news gatherers to violate laws applicable to everyone.

Background Story to the Project Veritas Raid

Founder and CEO of Project Veritas James O’Keefe already has a history of illegal activity\ies, including undercover sting operations to expose the hypocrisy and bias of progressive nonprofit organizations, news media, and politicians. A lot of journalists have renounced methods used nu Ptoject Veritas, asserting that the organization violates norms of media ethics.

The DOJ warranted the purpose of the raid, asserting that the cellphones would disclose evidence that would prove Project Veritas helped in the transport of more than $5,000 worth of stolen property. That is in addition to deliberately failing to immediately report the said crime to law enforcement authorities.

The attorneys representing Project Veritas explaineed that PV bought the diary from anonymous individuals who obtained the item legally as an abandoned item in a house in Florida.
According to Project Veritas, they sent the diary to local law enforcement officials after failed attempts to return it to Ashly Biden’s lawyer. They did not deem the diary useful as the could not check the authenticity of the diary itself.

According to the Supreme Court, If the events claimed by Project Veritas are true, the activist organization has the protection of the Privacy Protection Act of 1980. This law prohibits state and federal law enforcement from confiscating journalists’ product and materials, which has few exceptions.