Thursday, November 13, 2025 -A rural Kansas county, Marion County, has agreed to pay just over $3 million and issue a formal apology after a law-enforcement raid on the weekly newspaper Marion County Record and related premises in August 2023.
The raid, which drew nationwide attention, targeted the newspaper’s offices, the home of its publisher, and the residence of a city council member.
The raid was precipitated by allegations that the newspaper had illegally obtained a restaurant owner’s driving record and was investigating the local police chief’s history—claims later found to lack solid legal basis.
A subsequent review by special prosecutors declared the search warrants “not legally justified,” citing gross deficiencies in the investigation.
In his response, the paper’s publisher, Eric Meyer, stressed that the payment was symbolic and hoped it would serve as a deterrent against future incursions on press freedom.
The settlement also includes roughly $1 million for the estate of his 98-year-old mother, co-owner of the paper, who died the day after the raid—a death her son attributes to the stress caused by the incident.
0 Comments