Daily Archives: April 11, 2024

Wow, Dallas Rallied! Thank You! (And Yeah, I Got to See the Eclipse!)

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It was quite the scrum outside the Dallas Federal Courts Building yesterday! I can’t believe that literally hundreds of folks came out to support me at a hearing that ended up lasting less than 20 minutes. (The Dallas Morning News reported a crowd of over 300 people!)

I’m so grateful to everyone who waited in that ridiculous line to get into the courtroom—I heard some people were outside as early as 6am. I am genuinely so honored by y’all’s dedication. I’m especially grateful that, while there were definitely a few tense moments, the whole thing went down without any serious conflict.

Photo of my messy hair and sleep-deprived eye bags, yikes! Reprinted with permission / Becky Daren/AP

For me, this isn’t about protesting or drama or hashtag-resistance. It’s just about getting a fair hearing. Of course I super appreciate the speakers who came out, and especially the support from the Movement for a Free Press and the Texas Journalism Guild for organizing the rally. Faith and Niles really had the crowd going, and I wish I could have said more. But I’m trying to be mindful about the advice of my legal counsel, so I’ll just share this recording of the statement I read at the pre-hearing press conference, with a transcript below:

Hi, everybody. I wish I could take questions, but on the advice of my legal team, I’m only going to read a statement. Thanks for understanding.

First, I want to give my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported me over these last several weeks. Your kind words and generous donations to my defense fund have given me hope during a very difficult time. I have been subjected to baseless attacks on my character and professionalism, which have only made dealing with these unjust charges that much harder. So let me be clear: I am innocent. I am an accredited member of the press whose only goals are to inform the public and, when necessary, to hold elected officials to the basic standards of accountability that our democracy demands. The facts of my case show, beyond a doubt, that these charges are nothing but an attempt to silence the free press. I have always reported honestly, fairly, and accurately in everything I have covered. I have every belief that, following a swift resolution to this case, I will continue to do so. Thank you. That’s all I have for now, sorry.

Do I sound like a total, fragile weirdo? This whole thing has been so, so weird. I’m used to being on the other end of the mic, and being the one who won’t take “no” for an answer when someone says they can’t comment. But I really can’t!

I don’t have anything incredible to report from the hearing. It was mostly procedural, just to prove that I am who I am, that I’m not on the run, and that I refuse to plead guilty to these baseless charges that I am some kind of traitor or spy, brought by the Ruiz Administration, which has previously vetted and historically treated me as the legitimate, accredited journalist I am. But even that is maybe too much to say! Sorry, lawyers!

I would love to say more about what I’ve been through since February, but I have to let today’s statement speak for itself.

Since this has nothing to do with my case: I was able to spend some time with my closest friends watching the eclipse on Monday. We drove out to Dallas and spent the afternoon on a shockingly sunny downtown rooftop (the forecast had been for clouds!) and I got to feel extremely small in the vast scope of things, which I found surprisingly soothing. It was an intense reminder that we are all spinning infinitely around on a big blue marble in space, whether we are powerful politicians wielding history-changing biotech or regular folks just watching the skies with our pets and friends. Whatever happens to me or us or the country, even in these ~ unprecedented times ~ is part of a much bigger, million-year story of humanity. I don’t know, maybe I’m grasping at straws. It was really something.

I miss being able to send y’all my usual dispatches. I’m going to try to find a way to stay on the RevTech/election ’24 beat without compromising my case, so please stay tuned. In the meantime, here’s my usual news roundup:

What Else I’m Reading Right Now:

You can take the job away from the reporter, but you can’t take the reporter away from the keyboard. Subscribe to Minne Moves Home for dispatches on national news, the ‘24 presidential race, and snapshots of small-town Texas life.