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January 13, 2026

Press Freedom Groups Criticize House Subpoena of Journalist Seth Harp
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The House Oversight Committee is facing growing criticism for voting to
subpoena the prominent investigative journalist Seth Harp after he
posted publicly available information about a Delta Force commander who
reportedly played a role in the recent U.S. abduction of Venezuelan
President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Harp is the author of the book
"The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special
Forces." On Monday, 20 press freedom and First Amendment groups,
including the ACLU and Reporters Without Borders, called on the House
committee to rescind the subpoena, saying Harp's reporting is "fully and
squarely within the protections of the First Amendment." This is Chip
Gibbons of Defending Rights and Dissent.

Chip Gibbons: "The subpoena against Seth Harp has few parallels in
recent memory. We have to remember Seth Harp has done some of the most
important investigative reporting on U.S. foreign policy. It's been
critical reporting. The House knows full well the dangers to press
freedom that subpoenaing a journalist poses. That's why in 2024 they
actually passed legislation to prevent executive branch subpoenas
against journalists about their newsgathering." 
Click here to see our interview with Seth Harp about his book, "The Fort
Bragg Cartel."



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