Feds Squelch Capitol Hill Blue

[Guest guest]

A

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 23:21:56 EST

Feds Squelch Capitol Hill Blue

 

 

 

http://www.hoffmania.com/blog/2006/03/feds_squelch_ca.html

 

 

 

Feds Squelch Capitol Hill Blue

 

Originally published Mar 09, 2006

 

 

 

Willysnout tells you what Doug Thompson can't - Thompson and his crew

were under surveillance through his site (the aforementioned Capitol

Hill Blue), and forced him to change a column they didn't like.

 

Thompson is best known for " The Rant " - a regular online column which

has lately been highly critical of the current White House. (He's also

been critical of the Clinton White House - Thompson just has it out

for authority.)

 

Well, the current authority doesn't like that.

 

The offending article reported that Thompson, who also owns the

web hosting company that puts Capitol Hill Blue online, had received a

request under the USA Patriot Act from the FBI for information about

the publication, its contributors, its personnel and its readers. It

was only through his ownership of the hosting company that Thompson

was aware of the government's surveillance.

 

The FBI's request instructed Thompson not to reveal who had made

the information request or what law had authorized it. Thompson

refused to provide the information and revealed the letter and its

contents in Capitol Hill Blue. At that point, a U.S. attorney

threatened Thompson with jail unless he not only removed the

information, but revised the article discussing it.

 

To avoid going to jail, Thompson complied.

 

 

Think about it, folks. A publication has been not only censored,

but forced to submit new content acceptable to the government.

 

 

And now that the Patriot Act has just been signed to another contract

extension, we have more of this to look forward to.

 

Whoops. There's someone at the door. I'll be righ

 

Posted at 09:37 PM | Permalink

Comments on " Feds Squelc