Giuliani's Press Secretary Has Reporter Arrested

First Amendment to the Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

In other words, by the government's own laws, it is illegal for the government to interfere with the activities of the press. Yet last night, freelance reporter Matt Lepacek was arrested for asking a question. During a press meeting after the New Hampshire presidential debate, Lepacek directed his question to Giuliani’s press secretary. Lepacek asked the press secretary to clarify Giuliani’s assertion to Peter Jennings that he had foreknowledge that World Trade Center Building 7 was going to collapse. (Watch Giuliani’s statement here)
This is newsworthy, as it is unclear how anyone could have predicted that WTC 7 could have collapsed. Unlike WTC 1 and 2, building 7 was not hit by any jetliner. Furthermore, it was only minimally damaged by falling debris and its small pockets of fire were nearly extinguished.

Giuliani’s press secretary refused to answer the question and instead attacked the press credentials of Lepacek. Lepacek affirmed that he was a fully accredited reporter, working for infowars.com. Upon hearing this, the press secretary began to run away from Lepacek and his question. When Lepacek repeated his questioning, the press secretary called over New Hampshire state troopers to have him arrested.

According to Luke Rudkowski, Lepacek’s friend and fellow press member, Lepacek called Rudkowski during his police questioning and revealed that he had been threatened with deportation to a secret detention facility. The state police had considered charging him with espionage for using a webcam during the event. Of course, using a webcam during a press meeting is not espionage. Lepacek was finally released on bail, possibly on the charge of criminal trespass. Again, Lepacek was a fully accredited reporter, so he was not trespassing.

Is this the America Giuliani wants? Does Giuliani desire for reporters to be arrested, in complete violation of their First Amendment rights, whenever they ask a question his press secretary does not like? Furthermore, why did the press secretary not answer the question? He could have even replied with something vacuous, like, “The proper authorities notified the mayor when they were aware that the building’s collapse was imminent.” Or, he could have simply said, “No comment,” or “I don’t know.” Instead, the press secretary became angry and ran away, as though he were afraid. What has Rudy Giuliani to hide? If there is nothing wrong with Giuliani’s foreknowledge that WTC 7 was going to collapse, then Giuliani should clear his name and reveal the source of his foreknowledge. Furthermore, if Giuliani is really dedicated to being the leader of the free world, he should show his commitment to the First Amendment by firing his press secretary and personally apologizing to Matt Lepacek.

As for the State Troopers who arrested Lepacek, it would be easy for me to call for their firing. Indeed, they probably should be, and on their way out of the department, they should be handed a copy of the Constitution so that they finally come to learn what laws they should have upheld and protected. But this brings us to one of the bigger problems: police officers do not even know the law. In some cases, it reaches high levels of absurdity, as when these police officers claimed that a woman who refers to the Constitution and cites a Supreme Court case “don’t believe in our laws”.

And here is the second big problem: how is Giuliani’s press secretary able to order around New Hampshire state troopers? How was this cozy relationship established between a PR representative and the state’s enforcement arm? Something bad is happening to our county when both law enforcement and the representative of a presidential candidate are both willing to act in total disregard of the law and suppress real journalism.


More may be read here:

“Reporter Arrested on Orders of Giuliani Press Secretary”

“News Of Reporter's Arrest For Asking a Question Makes Major Headlines”