HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Is Journalist Barrett Brown a Political Prisoner? Q&A with Free Barrett Brown's Kevin Gallagher

Views:853
@ReasonVids

"It's a politically motivated prosecution... persecution really," says Kevin Gallagher, director of the Free Barrett Brown legal defense fund. "They're very willing and able to prosecute journalists and activists and people who are critical of the state or corporations. And that's really what Barrett was looking into, was this collusion between the government the the private intelligence industry."

Barrett Brown is a journalist and online activist who sometimes spoke on behalf of the "hacktivist" collective known as Anonymous. He ran into trouble with the federal government in 2012 after posting a link to leaked material obtained from a hack of private intelligence agenices Stratfor and HBGary. Although Brown did not perpetrate the hack, the FBI raided his home and seized several of his laptops and and hard drives without charging him.

What really incensed Brown, however, was when the government threatened his mother with an obstruction of justice charge for allegedly hiding one of Brown's laptops from FBI agents. Brown began posting a series of videos to YouTube, which are still publicly available. Because of these videos and some of Brown's online writings, the FBI raided Brown again and arrested and charged him with threatening federal agents in addition to several hacking charges related to posting the link. All told, Brown faced up to 105 years in prison.

Brown has been sitting in prison for the past two years awaiting trial, unable to speak out due to a government gag order. A judge lifted that gag order just last week, and court documents reveal that Brown has accepted a plea deal to three charges: transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, accessory after the fact to unauthorized access to a protected computer, and interfering with the execution of a search warrant.

The judge will hold a hearing to determine Brown's final sentencing tomorrow, where he could face a maximum of 8 1/2 years. To delve deeper into this case and learn what it means for online and press freedom in America, watch Reason TV's interview with Kevin Gallagher above, conducted just a day before the gag order was lifted.

Approximately 9 minutes. Produced by Zach Weissmueller. Camera by Jim Epstein.

Scroll down for downloadable versions, and subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube channel for daily content like this.

barrett brown (person)
,
free barrett brown
,
anonymous (collective)
,
hackers
,
stratfor leak
,
wikileaks
,
journalism
,
surveillance
,
whistle blowers
,
freedom of the press (issue)
,
freedom of speech (issue)
,
libertarian
,
reason magazine
    Thumbnail for 3 Policies More Racist Than Donald Sterling and Cliven Bundy2:10
    3 Policies More Racist Than Donald Sterling and Cliven Bundy
    ReasonVids
    853 views
    Thumbnail for Why You Should Support Reason: Al Sharpton Edition0:31
    Why You Should Support Reason: Al Sharpton Edition
    ReasonVids
    831 views
    Thumbnail for Is New Jersey's Charter School Movement Faltering?4:38
    Is New Jersey's Charter School Movement Faltering?
    ReasonVids
    766 views
    Thumbnail for Slashing Spending in Post-Soviet Slovakia: Q&A with Richard Durana5:04
    Slashing Spending in Post-Soviet Slovakia: Q&A with Richard Durana
    ReasonVids
    965 views
    Thumbnail for 4 Takeaways from Obama's Speech on Syria1:37
    4 Takeaways from Obama's Speech on Syria
    ReasonVids
    842 views
    Thumbnail for Condoms, Porn, and L.A.'s Measure B: The Most Bizarre Ballot Initiative of 20125:46
    Condoms, Porn, and L.A.'s Measure B: The Most Bizarre Ballot Initiative of 2012
    ReasonVids
    905 views
    Thumbnail for Tom Easton on Dodd-Frank: "A Terrible Law"4:15
    Tom Easton on Dodd-Frank: "A Terrible Law"
    ReasonVids
    738 views
    Thumbnail for Earmarks: The Alien Menace5:38
    Earmarks: The Alien Menace
    ReasonVids
    858 views
    Thumbnail for Is Indiana Ready for Cold Beer at Convenience Stores? Is America Ready to End Prohibition?1:55
    Is Indiana Ready for Cold Beer at Convenience Stores? Is America Ready to End Prohibition?
    ReasonVids
    1010 views
    Thumbnail for A Libertarian Builds Low-Cost Private Schools for the Masses7:26
    A Libertarian Builds Low-Cost Private Schools for the Masses
    ReasonVids
    901 views
    Thumbnail for Brain Games' Jason Silva Talks Techno Optimism7:23
    Brain Games' Jason Silva Talks Techno Optimism
    ReasonVids
    934 views
    Thumbnail for Sex Offender Brunch!6:12
    Sex Offender Brunch!
    ReasonVids
    917 views
    Thumbnail for ฟังสดเดอะโกสเรดิโอ  5/5/2567 เรื่องเล่าผีเดอะโกส | TheghostradioOfficial8:26:08
    ฟังสดเดอะโกสเรดิโอ 5/5/2567 เรื่องเล่าผีเดอะโกส | TheghostradioOfficial
    invidious
    255 views
    Thumbnail for Craig Whitney on Living With Guns: A Liberal's Case for the Second Amendment7:06
    Craig Whitney on Living With Guns: A Liberal's Case for the Second Amendment
    ReasonVids
    873 views
    Thumbnail for sandy cheeks the jungle book | matt knezz4:57
    sandy cheeks the jungle book | matt knezz
    mattkne
    63 views
    Thumbnail for Egyptian Dissident Cynthia Farahat: The Middle East Is Hungry for Free Markets and Free Speech14:19
    Egyptian Dissident Cynthia Farahat: The Middle East Is Hungry for Free Markets and Free Speech
    ReasonVids
    785 views
    Thumbnail for Black Crimes Matter Top 10 From 2024 original content14:44
    Black Crimes Matter Top 10 From 2024 original content
    bestofupgoat
    101 views
    Thumbnail for The Pope vs. Capitalism and Human Progress: Q/A with Cato's Marian Tupy7:08
    The Pope vs. Capitalism and Human Progress: Q/A with Cato's Marian Tupy
    ReasonVids
    761 views
    Thumbnail for Real Man of Genius: Joe Biden1:29
    Real Man of Genius: Joe Biden
    ReasonVids
    1015 views
    Thumbnail for Net Neutrality for Dummies: Will the FCC control the Internet?4:29
    Net Neutrality for Dummies: Will the FCC control the Internet?
    ReasonVids
    873 views
    Thumbnail for Dr. Jay Bhattacharya on Our COVID Response1:11:07
    Dr. Jay Bhattacharya on Our COVID Response
    ReasonVids
    801 views
    Thumbnail for Gavin Polone on Hollywood Hypocrites, Bad Film Subsidies, and the Future of the Industry9:28
    Gavin Polone on Hollywood Hypocrites, Bad Film Subsidies, and the Future of the Industry
    ReasonVids
    863 views
    Thumbnail for Who Wants to Live Forever? Dr. Stephen Coles on the Secrets of the World's Oldest People12:20
    Who Wants to Live Forever? Dr. Stephen Coles on the Secrets of the World's Oldest People
    ReasonVids
    866 views
    Thumbnail for ‘One Child Nation’ Exposes the Tragic Consequences of Chinese Population Control13:26
    ‘One Child Nation’ Exposes the Tragic Consequences of Chinese Population Control
    ReasonVids
    898 views

points

Permalink
Reply
barrett brown (person)
,
free barrett brown
,
anonymous (collective)
,
hackers
,
stratfor leak
,
wikileaks
,
journalism
,
surveillance
,
whistle blowers
,
freedom of the press (issue)
,
freedom of speech (issue)
,
libertarian
,
reason magazine
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle