I've received word from Iowa that the federal subpoenas against Drake University and Catholic Peace Ministries have been withdrawn.
I'll provide more details as they emerge.
Update: At least two of the four subpoenas against protesters were withdrawn.
The U.S. attorney in Des Moines dropped two subpoenas against local peace protesters Tuesday.
The attorney sent a letter to Ben Stone at the Iowa Civil Liberties Union saying the subpoena against Wendy Vasquez was withdrawn. Later, Brian Terrell told NewsChannel 8 his subpoena was also droppped. No word yet on if the subpoenas against two other protesters and Drake University have been dropped.
No word on the subpoenas against the other two protesters or the Drake University.
But the US Attorney General's office handling this matter is clearly feeling the heat, and they're tripping over themselves to explain the matter:
"The narrow purpose and scope of that inquiry is to determine whether there were any violations of federal law, or prior agreements to violate federal law, regarding unlawful entry into military property -- and specifically to include whether there were any violations as a result of an attempt to enter within the fenced, secure perimeter at Camp Dodge."
O'Meara said the investigation "does not relate to the rally held at STARC Armory on Nov. 16." He confirmed his office is investigating an event that occurred at Camp Dodge at or about the same time as the peace rally at STARC Armory.
Several protesters were arrested at that well-publicized event where law officers were waiting for protesters who crossed over a line demarking National Guard property. The investigation appears to pertain to an incident that same day elsewhere on Camp Dodge property where someone entered or attempted to enter the fenced area of the military property.
As for the protestors, O'Meara said, "The United States Attorney's Office does not prosecute persons peacefully and lawfully engaged in rallies which are conducted under the protection of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States."
But that explanation doesn't square with the far ranging nature of the subpoenas. So a few people tresspassed on a military base. Great. Law enforcement was there to arrest them. But this is what the subpoenas were seeking:
Though a judge has gagged Drake from discussing the case, the National Lawyers Guild, which helped sponsor the antiwar conference, faxed KCCI a copy of that Drake subpoena. It asks for all conference records, including names of people who were there.
The grand jury also wants Drake's names and records of the National Lawyers Guild's campus chapter and Drake security records, including any observations of what happened at the forum.
The guild filed court documents asking a judge to block the grand jury's subpoena: "To the extent that the grand jury is being employed for the purposes of probing into protected political and associational activities or intimidating and harassing supporters of the peace or antiwar movement, the grand jury has clearly overstepped its authority
Damn, this is some ugly shit. And all in the name of prosecuting a couple of protesters who crossed into government land? Bullshit. This was an intimidation effort, and it's heartening to see it blow up in their faces.