Full Breakdown
DOJ Refuses Written Responses Amid Allegations of Journalist Surveillance
7/23/2026, 8:31:03 PM
Core Event
A Justice Department filing indicates the agency does not intend to provide written responses to requests from the defense team of Emmy-Award-winning journalist Georgia Ellyse Fort. Fort, who was covering a protest at Cities Church in January 2026, faces three felony charges, including a hate-crime allegation. National-security analyst Marcy Wheeler highlighted that the filing was included in a court exhibit for a lawsuit filed by reporters present at the protest. The filing has sparked concerns that the DOJ is evading documentation requirements that are central to the justice system.
Background & Context
The case stems from the Cities Church protest, where Fort was present as a journalist. Prosecutors have charged her with felonies, while her legal team argues that the government is conducting illegal surveillance. According to the lawyers’ letter to the judge, the DOJ has repeatedly used customs summonses to obtain information about Fort’s phone, a practice that continued through late May.
Key Figures & Groups
- Georgia Ellyse Fort — journalist charged with three felonies, including a hate crime.
- Marcy Wheeler — national-security expert commenting on the alleged spying.
- Timothy Gerber — Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent accused of spying on Fort.
- Ned Hedley — DOJ official who communicated the agency’s refusal to provide written responses.
- Harmeet Dhillon — Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights overseeing the prosecutors involved.
Official Statements & Responses
The DOJ, through the conversation with Hedley, has stated that providing written replies could create a document that might be presented to the court or otherwise used against the government. Prosecutors have not clarified whether customs-related administrative summonses remain part of the investigation. A judge previously blocked Gerber from accessing cell-site simulators and toll-record data, limiting his ability to gather further phone-metadata.
Criticism & Opposition
Fort’s attorneys and the journalists involved contend that the DOJ’s actions represent “problematic behavior” and potentially illegal spying. They allege that Gerber’s use of customs summonses substitutes for the denied cell-site data, extending surveillance until at least late May. The lawyers also link the prosecutorial team to Harmeet Dhillon, noting her past promotion of 2020 election conspiracy theories, and argue that the lack of written documentation undermines transparency and defendants’ rights.
