Tipsheet

Here Are the Charges the FBI Slapped a Reporter With Concerning His January 6 Coverage

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  March 01, 2024 1:45 PM

It’s March 1, which means Blaze Media’s Steve Baker had to surrender to the FBI. His charge: stories that either embarrassed or questioned the prevailing narratives peddled by the Justice Department over the January 6 riot. 

Baker is the second reporter to be attacked for doing his job. The other would be former CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge, who was held in contempt of court Thursday for not divulging her sources over a series of stories about a Chinese American scientist who came under federal investigation in 2017.  

Herridge will be fined $800/day, but I hope her legal team files an appeal. As his attorney noted, Baker's crime is that he poked the DOJ in the eye too many times. He was seen doing the “perp walk” today in Texas: 

Before his surrender to federal officials, Baker was confused since an arrest warrant was issued, but, at the time, the actual charges were unknown until now (via The Blaze): 

Blaze News investigative journalist Steve Baker — who for years has been searching for the truth about Jan. 6, 2021, and believes the U.S. government has been targeting him for it — on Friday was charged with four misdemeanors related to his Jan. 6 coverage at the U.S. Capitol after turning himself in to the FBI in Dallas. 

The charges are: 

  • Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority
  • Disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds
  • Disorderly conduct in a capitol building
  • Parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building 

[…] 

Baker's Dallas attorney, James Lee Bright, added to Blaze News that withholding the nature of the charges against his client was a "really unusual" move.

Bright told Blaze News that he's "disturbed" about what's happening with his client, especially given that Baker has been "in full compliance" all this time. Bright also said the federal government "three-plus years later going after people who were legitimate functioning journalists that day" appears designed to have an "absolute chilling effect." 

[…] 

Blaze Media editor in chief Matthew Peterson — who accompanied Baker to the FBI field office — posted the following reaction: "Tough to watch. Totally unnecessary. There was no reason to take him into custody and have U.S. marshals transport him to the courthouse. We expect and hope to see him on the other side of this in a few hours." 

Dave Urbanski, Blaze media senior editor, added that Baker knew something would happen after learning his January 6 reporting was on the DOJ’s radar and that charges from that coverage would be handed down. some of the major stories Baker has published centered on potential perjury charges for Capitol Police officers in some post-J6 trials following a careful analysis of the security camera footage. 

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