The US Federal Government Persecutes Another Journalist

Is this even news anymore?

Steve Baker, a journalist for Blaze News turned himself in to federal custody this morning on four misdemeanor counts regarding his reporting on and participation in the events of January 6, 2021. The only charge with any plausibility at all is for knowingly entering a restricted building (though under the circumstances it’s still a weak charge.) The other three charges are all convoluted ways of saying “disorderly conduct,” which are easily refuted by the hours of video evidence of Baker that day which show nothing of the sort. Still, the video below illustrates how he’s been treated by the federal government and no, this isn’t present day South Africa.

Prior to today’s proceedings, Baker and his legal team were not informed of the specific charges against him, though his legal team was “assured” they were misdemeanors. To help clarify how this could happen, I reached out to one of his defense attorneys on ‘X,’ and the answer I received was extremely helpful.

There are two primary ways to bring charges against someone: through an indictment or an information. An information is a formal accusation filed by a prosecutor without the need for a grand jury. Less serious in the eyes of the law, misdemeanors can - in some jurisdictions - be initiated by filing an information instead of going through a grand jury. Very convenient. The prosecution has 30 days to file the information in question if they don’t conjure up an indictment, though I imagine this will be extended by either or both sides.

Steve Baker is already out of custody, which of course, is good. However that only goes to show how unnecessary the whole show was—and it was a show. The justice system (if you can call it that) is allegedly not intended to be a performative tool of the federal government to intimidate citizens into silence and self-deception. Why then is it so often used for that very purpose?

I digress to simply say that once again the American government is fraudulently persecuting a journalist that embarrassed them and dared to expose the truth. I look forward to following this case as it progresses.

-the Shultz Report by M. Shultz