Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Laura Cofer Taylor seems to be attempting to silence AmmoLand News journalist John Crump over his reporting on the AutoKeyCard Trial.
Crump has been a thorn in the side of the ATF/DOJ for years, and his reporting continues to frustrate them. Other media outlets have relied on Crump’s information to cover the shocking AutoKeyCard case. The reporting at that time infuriated the AUSA Cofer Taylor to the point that she called out Crump to the presiding court Judge for having a courtroom source feeding him information. The judge, in that case, dismissed her complaint.
Fast forward to August 2023.
— MOTION FOR ORDER PROHIBITING DISSEMINATION OF PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION REPORT
“WHEREFORE, the government requests that this Court issue an order reiterating that the PSRs are non-public documents and may not be disseminated beyond court personnel, the defense teams, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and order that any individuals who possess a copy of the PSR without authority (including Crump, Hughes, and Erica Hoover) destroy it and confirm its destruction in writing, and any other relief this Court deems necessary to protect the sentencing process in this case.”
Once again the Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Laura Cofer Taylor is having issues with continued reporting on the case and, this time, wants a document called a Presentence Investigation Report (PSR) about the same AutoKeyCard Case that is in the possession of Journalist John Crump destroyed.
“A Presentence Investigation Report (PSR) is a document prepared by probation officers in the United States federal court system after a defendant is convicted but before they are sentenced. The PSR plays a critical role in the sentencing process and provides the sentencing judge with a comprehensive overview of the defendant and the crime(s) they committed. “
According to a recent court document, the U.S. Attorney learned through recorded jailhouse phone calls that Matthew Hoover (better known as CRS Firearms on YouTube) had contacted Crump and given him information about his Presentence Investigation Report (PSR) and suggested he and Richard Hughes (who runs a channel called FlyingRich) create videos on the topic to inform the public of the injustice he was experiencing. Hughes also co-hosts and produces the John Crump Live Podcast.
Both Hughes and Crump agreed to make videos on the proposed sentences. This did not sit well with the prosecutor, and in this new court filing, she demanded a motion to silence Crump and destroy any PSR documents he had in his possession.
AmmoLand News views this as a constitutional violation and an attack on the freedom of the press. It would seem the federal government would rather hide its constitution-violating behavior from the public by silencing journalists than correct course and respect the First Amendment.
If AUSA Cofer Taylor thought Crump would back down, she miscalculated. Crump quickly hired a high-powered legal team consisting of Robert Olson, Stephen Stamboulieh, and James Phillips.
In a surprise move for AUSA Taylor, the legal team was quick to file a motion to intervene on behalf of Crump, defending him and the right to a free press.
See: John Crump’ Emergency 1 Motion To Intervene: Case No. 3:21-cr-22(S4)-MMH-MCR
Gun Owners of America has stepped in as well and will cover all legal expenses. Once again, it looks like an over-zealous ATF has found itself face-to-face with a powerhouse group of patriots and legal minds who will likely remind the government why the Bill of Rights was written in the first place.
Crump told AmmoLand News, “This is an attempt to stifle members of the press because the government doesn’t want anyone to shine a light on the misdeeds of an out-of-control agency,” Crump also said, “If Laura Cofer Taylor thought she could silence me, she is sorely mistaken. I will fight with every breath in my body, not just for my Second Amendment rights, but also for my First Amendment rights.”
Hughes also took issue with the Prosecutor’s attempt to silence him for his citizen journalism and said: “Today, I find myself in the midst of an astonishing legal ordeal that threatens the First Amendment Rights of John Crump and myself.” Hughes also said, “The Prosecutor has constructed a case twisting prior legal precedent to have new meaning and counting on the court not to know the truth. She is deliberately misleading the court and counting on legal action to scare John and myself from reporting on the Hoover case. We will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights.”
The attorneys argue that Hoover is within his rights to release the information and Crump is within his rights to report on it. The rules and cases referenced by AUSA Cofer Taylor in her filing only addressed the sharing of information by the officers of the court, not for the silencing of journalists.
This may be a critical moment in our fight to preserve our Second Amendment while also protecting our First Amendment. Our Founding Fathers saw these people coming over 200 years away. That’s why the Bill of Rights was written.