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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 19, 2023

U.S. Department of Justice Mocks the Concept of a Free Press

We the Libertarian Party of North Carolina, condemn in the strongest terms imaginable the guilty verdict for journalist Stephen Horn over imaginary offenses of which he was accused for documenting the events of January 6. Stephen has clearly demonstrated that he was there fully in his press capacity, including having released a documentary on his experience that day. Given that there is no demonstrable evidence that Stephen engaged in any sort of malfeasance whatsoever, the only conclusion we can draw is that the DoJ is using this to send a message to any other journalists who might act in a way that does not fit their agenda. This guilty verdict shows that our system is completely broken and justice is not possible when the weight of an angry state is against you.

The LPNC supports the absolute freedom of the press with no interference from government entities, full stop. The Department of Justice choosing to prosecute a North Carolina independent journalist for documenting the events of January 6 is, by itself, a chilling and dystopian weaponization of the government’s “justice” arm. For a journalist to be found guilty for performing duties as a member of the press marks the ending of any illusion that our country remains free.

LPNC Chair Ryan Brown said, “This has been building for years, and we the people have done very little to stop it. We watched the creation and perpetual extension of the Patriot Act and did nothing. We suffered warrantless spying on American citizens without a peep. We were silent when the FBI demanded financial information from our banks. We have sacrificed Liberty for the illusion of security for too long, ignoring the inevitable outcome. Many in the mainstream and established media will be cheering on this conviction, like they cheer on the continued imprisonment of Julian Assange. We find no distinction between independent journalists and established media and fully support the rights of all people to document and report the actions of others without the threat of prosecution. Finding Stephen guilty isn’t surprising, it just announces to anyone who would challenge the almighty state that they do not even pretend to support the freedoms we should enjoy as Americans.”

We will continue to follow this abomination, and will provide updates as they become available. As of right now, Stephen will be sentenced for the crime of real journalism in January. If you would like to contribute to his defense fund, he has set up a donations page: GiveSendGo - Independent J6 Journalist Targeted by DOJ: The Leader in Freedom Fundraising.

The Libertarian Party of North Carolina