Kansas County Agrees to Pay $3M After Illegal Raids on Press

UPDATE: In a landmark decision, Marion County, Kansas, has agreed to pay over $3 million to settle claims related to illegal raids on a local newspaper and the homes of its journalists. This controversial incident, which took place in August 2023, has ignited national conversations about press freedom and accountability.

The Marion County Board of Commissioners made the announcement on Monday, confirming that the payouts will be distributed to three journalists from the Marion County Record and a former city councilor whose property was also searched. The raids were allegedly prompted by complaints from a local restaurateur about the paper’s investigative reporting.

Eric Meyer, the owner and editor of the Marion County Record, stated that the settlement will resolve their ongoing legal disputes without the need for a jury trial. “We were willing to short-circuit it because there was an admission of wrongdoing and an apology,” Meyer explained in a phone interview. He emphasized that the judgment holds the county accountable without any nondisclosure agreements or denials of wrongdoing.

Following the settlement, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office issued a public apology, acknowledging the mistakes made during the execution of the search warrants. “This likely would not have happened if established law had been reviewed and applied prior to the execution of the warrants,” the statement read.

The impact of the raids was deeply felt within the Meyer family. Joan Meyer, Eric’s 98-year-old mother, who worked at the Marion County Record for decades, described the police actions as “Hitler tactics.” Tragically, she passed away shortly after expressing her distress about the incident. “It might make her rest easier to know that somebody admitted that they shouldn’t have done what they were doing,” Eric Meyer reflected.

This settlement releases the county from four separate federal lawsuits filed against local officials. Meyer noted that while the financial aspect is significant, it symbolizes a larger message about press freedom: “If you want to bully people — particularly the free press — there’s a price to pay. And that price is going to be in the millions.”

Meyer stressed that he and the other plaintiffs are unlikely to consider settling their ongoing lawsuits against former city officials out of court, citing continued obstructive actions from the city. “If they had done otherwise, we might not be so insistent on going all the way to a verdict,” he stated.

Looking ahead, Meyer hopes that the resolution of these legal disputes will pave the way for an endowment fund to secure the Marion County Record’s future as an essential watchdog in the community. “They wanted to put us out of business. Well, they may have guaranteed that we stay in business,” he concluded.

Developments surrounding this case will be closely monitored as the implications for press freedom and local governance continue to unfold. The story remains a crucial reminder of the vital role that journalism plays in democracy and the consequences of attempts to silence it.