Posted on 02/28/2024 8:38:46 AM PST by Twotone
Blaze News investigative journalist Steve Baker said the FBI wants him to self-surrender to the agency Friday morning in Dallas over his January 6 reporting. What are the details?
Baker told Blaze News he's been instructed to turn himself in at the agency's field office at 7 a.m. wearing "shorts and sandals" — which he said signals that the plan likely is to go for "humiliation" and place him in an orange jumpsuit, handcuff him, and do the "prisoner transport routine."
He added that after he's taken to the Dallas courthouse, he'll appear at a 10 a.m. hearing before a federal magistrate.
"They didn’t have to go this route," Baker told Blaze News on Tuesday evening. "We have been told that my charges are only misdemeanors. And my attorneys have been assured that this will be an ‘in and out’ affair with 'no intention' to detain me. But rather than issuing a simple order to appear, they went the 'arrest warrant' route."
What's more, Baker said he still does not know what the charges against him are, noting to Blaze News that the powers that be won't tell his attorney about the charges because they believe Baker will post them on social media.
Baker's Dallas attorney, James Lee Bright, added to Blaze News that withholding the nature of the charges against his client is a "really unusual" move. Bright also said he's hoping to get a copy of the complaint against Baker as early as possible Friday morning.
Baker also said his legal team was told there was no request to the court for detention, no need for bail, and the expectation is that he'll be released after the proceedings. Bright told Blaze News that he anticipates Friday's hearing to be simple.
"We do not know if there will be pretrial travel restrictions, although that has been the norm for J6 defendants — even for misdemeanor defendants," Baker also said. "It has also been universal that no J6ers are allowed to travel to Washington, D.C., which for obvious reasons will have a deleterious impact on my work. We also do not know if there will be any other accompanying restrictions or orders: gag order from talking about my case, no social media, limited social media, order to surrender devices and/or firearms. All unknowns."
Bright told Blaze News that he's "disturbed" about what's transpiring 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."
"I'm not a depressive person, but I'm not happy about this," Baker added to Blaze News. "I have prayed, 'Lord, let this cup pass from me,' but apparently it's not going to." However, he also said it will be a "relief" to get this first step over with.
Baker added that when he asked his other attorney, William Shipley, why the federal government is treating him like this, Shipley replied, "You know why. You've been poking them in the eye for three years"
Blaze Media editor in chief Matthew Peterson couldn't agree more, saying in a Tuesday evening statement that "the federal government's treatment of Steve Baker is outrageous."
"He's had unknown charges hanging over his head for years, but after we started working with him the government sprang back into action. There is no need to put him in a jumpsuit or handcuffs except as a humiliation ritual or a show, which seems to be exactly what they are planning on doing on Friday," Peterson added.
"We will be showing the world footage from January 6 that shows Steve was clearly present that day as an independent journalist. Government retaliation such as this against journalists contradicts the very idea of a free press, the purpose of our form of government, and what once was the American way of life," Peterson also noted, adding that "this should not be happening in America."
Baker announced in December that the FBI said the U.S. Department of Justice would be charging him for his Jan. 6 reporting — but two days later, he noted that the FBI said his self-surrender was postponed until after Christmas.
It's been a waiting game ever since.
Last month, attorneys representing Baker told Blaze News that the U.S. Department of Justice may be orchestrating a "retaliation" against Baker over his Jan. 6 reporting.
"Steve’s actions on January 6 have been known to the Department of Justice for 3 years," Baker's attorneys said in a January news release. "But it is only now — after Steve has broken two major stories greatly embarrassing to the DOJ — that he is possibly being targeted for arrest and possibly felony prosecution. Any action taken to put him in handcuffs, hold him in custody, and have him transported to court by federal law enforcement will be nothing other than retaliation for his recent reporting."
Baker discussed his legal saga in a pair of October commentary pieces for Blaze News (here and here), detailing the ins and outs of the federal investigation he's been under following his independent journalistic work on Jan. 6, which began before he joined Blaze News. What has been uncovered as a result of Baker's investigations?
Baker's first Jan. 6 analysis for Blaze News came last October, following countless hours in a House subcommittee office looking at frame after frame of Jan. 6 closed-circuit video — and it had him wondering: did Capitol Police Special Agent David Lazarus perjure himself in the Oath Keepers trial?
Soon after, the slow pace of getting an unrestricted look at everything recorded on video prompted Blaze Media editor in chief Matthew Peterson's appeal to House Speaker Mike Johnson to release all the videos. On Nov. 17, Johnson did just that.
Baker's investigative efforts also resulted in two additional analyses, both focusing on Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn: "January 6 and the N-word that wasn't" and "Harry Dunn's account of January 6 does not add up. At all."
In December, Baker alleged he uncovered major irregularities involving Dunn, Capitol Police, the press, and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland).
In January, Baker asserted that just-released U.S. Capitol closed-circuit TV video clips from Jan. 6 show Lazarus gave false testimony in the Oath Keepers trial.
Also in January, Baker and others were asking what the U.S. government has to hide in regard to the pipe bomb found on Jan. 6 at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. Baker followed up on that in February with another analysis titled "Capitol Police diverted all CCTV cameras away from DNC pipe bomb investigation — except one."
Just last week, Baker penned his latest analysis, asking why Kamala Harris was at the DNC and not the Capitol on Jan. 6.
America’s KGB
I am out of the loop on rallies and campaigning. What is trump saying to help those in the gulag and those headed that way.?
Tell them that he will be home at 4 a.m., and if they want to bring the usual 40 man goon squad, he won’t be armed and is not dangerous.
“this will be an ‘in and out’ affair with ‘no intention’ to detain me.”
Those lying GD no good rotten crooked stasi bastards are liars. Every GD one of them. From the top to the guy who empties the trash. Disband the agency, fire every single employee, burn the building to the ground then urinate on the ashes. There is no redeeming the crooked stasi FBI.
Stalinesque.
He is running for President so he can exonerate and pardon them. Right now he has to be careful. They want him in prison and he's an assassination target.
If I’m not mistaken, Nancy Pelosi’s daughter was filming a documentary in the capital that day why is she and other MSM reporters not being arrested?
What is trump saying to help those in the gulag and those headed that way.?
Think about it.
Why would the Houthis, NorKs and ChiComs do this to us?
You mean besides saying that he would pardon them all when back in office?
What more do you want, Trump-hater?
It’s not very pleasant to know that the current administration is using federal “law enforcement” to harass its political enemies. Something that is normally done in a fascist dictatorship.
It’s not very pleasant to know that one’s country has become a fascist dictatorship with our only hope being the election of one man – the man who the administration hates passionately.
The left is going to do anything and everything imaginable to try to stop Trump.
Where is the dang Republican representatives on this. Chicken squat pos. No wonder folk don’t want their leadership. Spinless turkeys.
I’m not following much of what Trump is doing either. I hope they are prepped to pardon & free every J6’er who didn’t do any damage upon taking the oath. We shall see...
“What is trump saying to help those in the gulag and those headed that way.?”
I think that Trump would love for you to inform him how he could help those people, since he has to spend millions trying to defend himself.
Does your insane TDS give you headaches, lack of sleep? Do you have sudden impulses to strangle puppies and kittens?
Trump’s failure to cross the Rubicon is biting him in the ass.
More Biden Gestapo.
You should consider pulling your head out of yours.
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