Jeff Hogg was released from jail this week, six months after refusing to cooperate with a federal Green Scare grand jury investigating “eco-terrorism.” Hogg, 33, is a longtime environmental activist and nursing student from Eugene, Ore. He was jailed on Thursday, May 18, when U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan found him in contempt for refusing to testify.
According to an AP article in The Register-Guard:
Hogg’s lawyer, Paul Loney of Portland, said Hogg apparently was named by cooperating defendants in the Backfire case who were making sentence deals. He said Hogg has told prosecutors that he knows nothing about crimes committed by environmental extremists.
Prosecutors are barred from discussing grand jury matters, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Peifer said Hogg may be subpoenaed to a future grand jury if he does not cooperate in ongoing investigations.
In another article in The Register-Guard
, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Sheldahl responded to claims that this is an eco-terrorist witch hunt by saying:
“Grand juries investigate people who blow things up, burn things down. They’re not investigating free speech.”
Here’s more doublespeak at work. Yes, the grand jury was technically convened to investigate property crimes. However, individuals that are hauled before the grand jury are forced to testify about the political associations and political beliefs (both protected by the First Amendment) and if they refuse on principle, like Hogg, they risk jail time. For more information on how activists are responding to grand juries, visit FBIwitchhunt.com.