An independent journalist made headlines earlier in October after publishing a 270-page report compiled by Donald Trump’s campaign regarding its vetting process for vice presidential pick JD Vance. Following the publication of the Vance dossier, the journalist, Ken Klippenstein, reported that he was visited by the FBI.
According to the FBI, the documents are believed to have been obtained by Iran when its operatives hacked into the Trump campaign earlier this summer. The hacked materials were distributed to several major news outlets, which chose not to publish them. However, Klippenstein published the dossier on his own.
After doing so, Klippenstein said he received a visit from the FBI.
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“No subpoena, no search warrant, no prior announcement, no claim of illegality,” Klippenstein said. “America’s most powerful law enforcement agency wants me to know that it was displeased. It is delivering what many would consider a chilling message: we know where you live, we know what you’ve done, we are watching.”
Klippenstein acknowledged that he anticipated significant reactions to his decision to release the dossier, which he understood was obtained illegally by a U.S. adversary. Nonetheless, he stands firm in his decision to publish the material.
“When I chose to publish the J.D. (sic) Vance dossier, I knew and acknowledged in the story that it had probably come from Tehran,” Klippenstein said. “This placed me at odds with the entirety of major media, which in an extraordinary act of self-censorship declined to publish the dossier.”
He criticized organizations like Twitter, Meta, Google and the FBI for acting as “arbiters of the news” consumers receive. Klippenstein argued that their concerns about “threats” to democracy, including foreign interference and misinformation, undermine the fundamental principle of freedom of speech and expression.
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Another repercussion of posting the dossier was a ban on X, which was reversed. When Klippenstein uploaded the documents to X, his account was suspended. X stated that the suspension was due to doxxing, as the documents contained sensitive information, including the Ohio senator’s Social Security number and home address.
Klippenstein subsequently redacted the private information from the dossier, and his account has since been restored. He claimed that the decision to reactivate his X account came directly from owner Elon Musk in the name of free speech.
[KARAH RUCKER]
An independent journalist made headlines earlier this month after he published a 270 page report compiled by trump’s campaign in their process vetting vice presidential pick jd vance.
NOW THAT JOURNALIST SAYS HE WAS VISITED BY THE FBI AFTER HITTING PUBLISH.
The documents are believed to have been obtained by iran by hacking into the trump campaign earlier this summer – according to the fbi.
The hacked materials were distributed to several MAJOR news outlets – which chose not to publish them.
But independent journalist – ken klippenstein – DID.
AND AFTER DOING SO – KLIPPENSTEIN SAYS HE RECEIVED A KNOCK ON THE DOOR FROM THE FBI.
The Bureau told me that I had been the target of a foreign influence operation with regard to a news article I had written, a clear reference to my publication of the JD Vance Dossier.
No subpoena, no search warrant, no prior announcement, no claim of illegality. America’s most powerful law enforcement agency wants me to know that it was displeased. It is delivering what many would consider a chilling message: we know where you live, we know what you’ve done, we are watching.
This is how out of control the disinformation and foreign influence hysteria has become.”
KLIPPENSTEIN SAYS HE UNDERSTOOD THERE WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT REACTION IN HIS DECISION TO RELEASE THE DOSSIER FIRST OBTAINED ILLEGALLY BY A U.S. ADVERSARY.
BUT KLIPPENSTEIN STANDS FIRM IN HIS DECISION TO PUBLISH THE MATERIAL.
SAYING TUESDAY
“When I chose to publish the J.D. Vance dossier, I knew and acknowledged in the story that it had probably come from Tehran. This placed me at odds with the entirety of major media, which in an extraordinary act of self-censorship declined to publish the dossier.”
Powerful organizations like Twitter, Meta, Google, and now the FBI have appointed themselves arbiters over the news you get to consume. They decry “threats” to democracy in the form of foreign interference, influence, disinformation, misinformation, and even conspiracies. That ultimately undermines the most powerful engine of our democracy, which is freedom of speech and expression.
ANOTHER REPERCUSSION FROM POSTING THE DOSSIER?
A BAN ON X.
WHICH WAS REVERSED OVER THE WEEKEND.
When KLIPPENSTEIN uploaded the documents to x –
His account was suspended.
Something we reported on earlier this month.
X SAYS HIS ACCOUNT WAS SUSPENDED FOR DOXXING –
SAYING THE DOCUMENTS CONTAINED SENSITIVE INFORMATION –
INCLUDING THE OHIO SENATOR’S SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AND HOME ADDRESS.
KLIPPENSTEIN SUBSEQUENTLY REDACTED THE PRIVATE INFORMATION FROM THE DOSSIER AND HIS ACCOUNT HAS SINCE BEEN RESTORED.
ACCORDING TO KLIPPENSTEIN – THE DECISION TO REACTIVATE HIS X ACCOUNT CAME DIRECTLY FROM OWNER ELON MUSK IN THE NAME OF FREE SPEECH.
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