In an unprecedented move, local police in Marion, Kansas conducted a raid on the offices of the Marion County Record and the homes of its publishers and reporters. The raid involved the seizure of computers, cellphones, and reporting materials. It is alleged that the raid was prompted by a confidential source leaking sensitive documents to the newspaper. However, the paper never published anything related to the leaked information.

The raid appears to be part of an ongoing dispute between the paper and local restaurant owner Kari Newell, who had police remove Marion County Record reporters from an open forum held by US Congressman Jake LaTurner. Newell accused the newspaper of illegally obtaining and disseminating sensitive documents, a claim that the newspaper denies.

Advocates argue that the raid violates federal laws protecting the media, including the Privacy Protection Act. This act typically requires police to obtain subpoenas rather than conducting raids on newsrooms. Legal experts have called the raid unheard of in America and compared it to actions taken by totalitarian regimes.

The Marion Police Chief, Gideon Cody, claims that the raid was justified and that the judicial system will be vindicated once all the details are made public. However, the seizure of materials critical to the newspaper's ability to publish raises concerns about government overreach and the threat to press freedom.