The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation and is demanding records related to an indymedia.org post which expressed anti-RNC sentiment and listed the names of some 2,200 individual RNC delegates. More on indymedia's site here, and here's a snip from a related ACLU press release:
In a letter sent today in response to a grand jury subpoena issued by the Secret Service, the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Union said they are representing a web hosting service and administrators of an independent media website regarding the anonymous posting of publicly available information about delegates to the Republican National Convention. The groups said the investigation is but the latest example of government agencies using law enforcement powers to chill free speech and intimidate protesters. (…) Beeson added that the posting did not include anything remotely threatening, but involved political speech fully protected by the First Amendment.
Link to Declan McCullagh's politech law-tech resource, where this news item was first spotted. Link to Washington Post story, Link to CNN's, Link to NYT story.
Update:
Micah of Indymedia says, "I'm one of the four system administrators for indymedia that is involved in this… The wonderful ISP we have — who protects its client's privacy and rights without caving — Calyx, was forced to turn over any contact information they had for Indymedia… turns out they only have our email addresses, so I expect an email from the SS (Secret Service, not Sicherheitsdienst) any day now. I thought I'd point out this url for more information (including a scanned copy of the subpoena). Link"
