Antiwar.com Lost Major Donors After News of FBI Monitoring Broke

In a detailed discussion of the circumstances that have resulted in Eric Garris and Justin Raimondo, both of Antiwar.com, filing a lawsuit in federal court, demanding the release of records they believe the FBI is keeping on them and the 17-year-old online magazine, it has been disclosed that when news of the monitoring broke, Antiwar.com lost several key donors.

Kelley B. Vlahos, a contributor to Antiwar.com reports that after Raimondo wrote about the FBI memo in August 2011, Antiwar.com started losing donors, and according to the lawsuit, the losses were significant for the tiny budget anti-war operation:

In October 2011, one of Antiwar.com’s major donors withdrew his financial support from Antiwar.com out of concern that the FBI would monitor him if he continued to provide, as he wished to do, financial support to Antiwar.com. Since then, three significant donors have also withdrawn financial support, citing their fear that FBI interest in Antiwar.com would lead to surveillance of the donors as a reason for withdrawing financial support. As a result, Antiwar.com has lost about $75,000 per year since 2011 in otherwise expected contributions.

Antiwar.com has posted a letter to its readers at the top of its frontpage, explaining the lawsuit:

Yesterday the ACLU filed a lawsuit on our behalf against the Federal Bureau of Investigation, demanding the receipt of records in their possession regarding surveillance of Antiwar.com, and key editorial personnel. We know they possess such records because of documents received as a result of a third party Freedom of Information Act request, subsequently published online. A memo from FBI headquarters in Washington speculates Antiwar.com and its principals are possibly "a threat to national security" engaging in a conspiracy "on behalf of a foreign power" and recommends a more thorough investigation.

We are American citizens engaged in a peaceful, constitutionally protected activity: it's what they used to call journalism. We have the right to organize and to publicize our views, and we are demanding the FBI admit what it has done, and promise to cease and desist.

We need your help in publicizing this fight for our basic constitutional right to practice independent journalism. Make your tax-deductible donation to Antiwar.com today.