US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tried to subpoena BuzzFeed News in an effort to force the media outlet to disclose its sources. A report published by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), states that BuzzFeed News refused to comply with the subpoena with ICE saying it will not enforce the summons and has since withdrawn the subpoena.
However, ICE has said that it will pursue its investigation ‘through other channels.’ The CPJ has urged ICE not to take legal action against news outlets.
According to the CPJ report, BuzzFeed News published an article disclosing that the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility had filed a subpoena on December 1. The subpoena reportedly demanded that the news outlet disclose its source of information used for its reporting on US immigration programs.
From the moment federal prosecutors were handed the Jeffrey Epstein case, they didn’t trust Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer.
But even though federal prosecutors believed Krischer had “intentionally torpedoed” the case, they took the rare and misguided step of putting him in the driver’s seat.
Instead of vigorously pursuing the politically connected financier on charges that he sexually assaulted dozens of teens at his Palm Beach mansion, Krischer joined hands with Epstein’s defense team and undermined federal prosecutors’ efforts.
The conclusions, detailed in a 300-page report of an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department, paint a damning picture of both Krischer’s duplicity and federal prosecutors’ naivete.