The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has decided to indict a reporter for The Blaze for his reporting on the Capitol protest of Jan. 6, 2021.
The reporter is Steve Baker.
Baker announced the charges in an X post on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023.
BREAKING: My attorney has just been notified by @FBI that I am going to be charged by @TheJusticeDept for my journalistic efforts on #Jan6. I have to self-surrender on Tuesday. Charges are yet unknown. Stay tuned for more information to follow this afternoon," he wrote.
At the time of this writing, there are still some unknowns about Baker's arrest.
For those unfamiliar with Baker and his Jan. 6, 2021, reporting, he has released several stories that contradict some of the key claims about that day that have been made by Capitol Police officers and other federal officials. Baker has, accordingly, said that his indictment is no "coincidence."
Baker has provided some updates on his situation:
Just after 5pm yesterday my Raleigh attorney received a call from @FBI Special Agent Craig Noyes informing us that my self-surrender would be postponed until “after Christmas” and that @TheJusticeDept has assigned a new AUSA to my case. (Adam Dreher) Quite a fast turnaround of events in less than 36 hours. I’ll inform (and speculate) further in a subsequent post/article.
Baker, in subsequent posts, takes followers through some of his Jan. 6, 2021, reporting.
The Blaze's chief editor - Matthew Peterson - has released a statement condemning the government's indictment of Baker.
This is outrageous retaliation on the part of the federal government against a journalist. @TPC4USA was an independent journalist on J6; he's now investigating the events of that day for @theblaze.
We must all rally and end this totalitarian madness.https://t.co/WN22wYq0To https://t.co/xrrqQMdhy1
— Matthew J. Peterson (@docMJP) December 14, 2023
Peterson, in subsequent posts, also hinted at what he believes is motivating the government's prosecution of Baker.
"We recently published evidence that Capital Hill Police officers committed perjury in the Oath Keepers trial and this is apparently the DOJ's response. When @TPC4USA got word he was being charged he was in DC working on our investigation of the J6 footage. @Weaponization," Peterson said.
Peterson goes on to say that The Blaze will be publishing more evidence soon.
He writes, "We have the receipts. And will be publishing more on this soon, with video footage, regardless of these implicit totalitarian threats against Steve Baker."
