Police raided a Kansas newspaper. Now they have apologized and will pay millions.
- - Police raided a Kansas newspaper. Now they have apologized and will pay millions.
Melina Khan, USA TODAY November 13, 2025 at 10:55 PM
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A Kansas county has apologized and agreed to pay over $3 million to a small town newspaper for a 2023 raid that sparked national outcry over press freedoms.
The Marion County Sheriff and Board of County Commissioners agreed to the judgment to settle claims against them in a lawsuit filed by the newspaper, the Marion County Record, according to court documents filed on Nov. 11.
The paper's publisher, Eric Meyer, has also sued the city of Marion, its former mayor, police chief and another officer, but those claims are not part of the judgment and remain unresolved.
On Aug. 11, 2023, law enforcement officers raided the newspaper's office and two private residences, including the home of Meyer and his mother, Joan Meyer, who was also a co-owner of the publication. Joan Meyer died of a heart attack the day after the raid, and her son said stress from the raid contributed to her death.
“This is a first step — but a big step — in making sure that Joan Meyer’s death served a purpose in making sure that the next crazed cop who thinks they can raid a newsroom understands the consequences are measured in millions of dollars," said Bernie Rhodes, the Record's attorney, in a statement shared by the paper.
USA TODAY has reached out to the Marion County Sheriff's Office and the defendants' attorney for comment.
'Get out of my house' Video shows mother of Kansas newspaper publisher confronting cops
Sheriff's office issues apology to Kansas newspaper for raid
As part of the judgment, the Marion County Sheriff's Office issued an apology to Meyer and Ruth Herbel, the town's former vice mayor whose home was also raided, and her husband.
"The Sheriff’s Office wishes to express its sincere regrets to Eric and Joan Meyer and Ruth and Ronald Herbel for its participation in the drafting and execution of the Marion Police Department’s search warrants on their homes and the Marion County Record," said the apology, which was shared by the Record. "This likely would not have happened if established law had been reviewed and applied prior to the execution of the warrants."
The monetary judgment includes $1 million to Joan Meyer's estate and $200,000 to Eric Meyer, the court filings said. The rest of the money is being awarded to Herbel, the paper itself and two of its former reporters, the Record said.
"This never has been about money,” Eric Meyer said in a statement shared by the Record. “The key issue always has been that no one is above the law. No one can trample on the First and Fourth Amendments for personal or political purposes and get away with it."
Why did police raid Kansas newspaper?
The raid stemmed from accusations against Kari Newell, a member of local city council.
Newell accused the Record of illegally obtaining and leaking information about a drunken-driving incident, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.
The paper denied the allegation. Eric Meyer wrote on the Record's website at the time that a source had contacted the paper saying Newell "did not have a valid driver's license and (law enforcement) had ignored what the source said were repeated violation of driving laws by Newell."
According to Meyer, the Record verified the information using a public website but decided not to publish it. After consulting an attorney, Meyer told then-Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody and then-Sheriff Jeff Soyez about the information the source provided.
Officials obtained a search warrant — which was signed by Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar and posted online by the nonprofit news site the Kansas Reflector — that cited probable cause that violations related to identity theft and unlawful acts concerning computers were committed.
Police were authorized to search for devices that were used to access the Kansas Department of Revenue records website and documents and records pertaining to Newell, according to the warrant.
Meyer said Cody, who resigned two months after the raid, was actually upset about Record reporter Debbie Gruver’s investigation into his behavior while he was a member of the police force in Kansas City, Missouri.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected].
Contributing: Thao Nguyen and Mike Snider, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kansas county agrees to pay newspaper over $3 million for 2023 raid
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