Scott Ritter Statement Following FBI Raid on his home | Judge Napolitano – Judging Freedom

The search warrant is related to concerns apparently the US government has about violations of the Foreign Agent Registration Act. I will tell you right now I am not in violation of the Foreign Agent Registration Act. I have not done anything that will do it and hopefully by executing the search warrant and taking the materials that they did they will rapidly reach that conclusion. I will say that things like this have a chilling effect on free speech. There’s no doubt that I’m being targeted because of statements I’ve made about US policy in Ukraine being targeted because I have made an effort to try and improve relations between the United States and Russia to drive bring about arms control to bring about peace.

Apparently somebody in the US government takes umbrage at this so the executed search warrant. The FBI was extraordinarily professional. I have no complaints against the personnel that did this. I do have complaints against the personnel that caused this to happen. This has a chilling impact on free speech. The idea that you have a free speech right in America when you execute it in a manner that the US government takes exception to and they launch a search warrant that is an intimidation factor. I can say that I am not intimidated and I will continue to speak out and I will continue to do what I do because that’s my responsibility as an American citizen and I will continue to operate in that manner.

So I think I gave you all the answers you need at this point in time. I would request that you respect that and let me and my wife get on with our business. What time did they show up today? I don’t know they were here a long time. So can you say generally what type of stuff was in the boxes they took? The search warrant allowed them to look for electronic equipment. They were clearly interested in communications that I’ve had with people related to the work I do. That’s all I can say about it.

It’s up to them to to review it. I have nothing to hide. I was cooperative with them and you know it is what it is and we’ll get on with it. But as I said I respect their right to do what they did. I’m not in violation of the law and I will not be intimidated. So anybody upstairs who thought that this will intimidate me and cause me to stop speaking out they guessed wrong. Have a great day. They took that that’s an old story but yeah my password was seized when I returned from Russia back in June.

When I was getting ready to leave for Russia back in June. When you say they took stuff that was related to your work what work exactly? I’m a writer you figure it out. You’re a journalist? Imagine if they did a search warrant in your workplace what would they take? Turned us two equals four. [tr:trw].

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