Gideon Cody, a former Marion, Kans., police chief, who spearheaded a raid on a weekly newspaper last year, faces felony obstruction of justice charges. He is alleged to have influenced a potential witness to conceal information from investigators probing his actions, The Associated Press reports. The charge against Cody alleges that he knowingly or intentionally influenced the witness to withhold information on the day of the raid of the Marion County Record and the home of its publisher or within the next six days. The charge was filed Monday. The raid ignited a nationwide discussion on press freedom centered around Marion. Also, newspaper Publisher Eric Meyer’s mother, who co-owned the newspaper and lived with him, died the next day of a heart attack; he blames the stress of the raid.
Meyer said authorities appeared to be making Cody the “fall guy” when numerous officials were involved. He said Tuesday that he suspects the criminal case ultimately will be resolved through a plea bargain so that Cody will not have a trial that would disclose details about the raid. A report from two special prosecutors last week referenced text messages between Cody and a local business owner after the raid. The business owner has said that Cody asked her to delete text messages between them, fearing people could get the wrong idea about their relationship, which she said was professional and platonic. Cody justified the raid by claiming that Meyer, the newspaper, and reporter Phyllis Zorn had committed identity theft or other computer crimes. The Record’s publishing company and current and former staffers have filed four federal lawsuits against Cody and other former and current local officials. The publishing company’s lawsuit includes a wrongful death claim and suggests total damages exceed $10 million. The publishing company also filed an open records lawsuit, seeking to force the city to turn over texts between police and other local officials.
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