The Marion County Record filed a lawsuit in the wake of a April 11, 2023 police and sheriff raid on the newspaper and the alleged resultant death of its 98-year-old owner. The newspapers and the Marion city mayor were often at odds. The mayor attempted to get Marion city elected officials to sign a statement giving him to power to dismiss them from office. The attempt followed a failed recall of the then-vice mayor. (The Wichita Eagle, April 3, 2024, by Dion Lefler)
The lawsuit reportedly asks for over $10 million in damages. The raid was conducted with a claim of probable cause that the newspaper committed identity theft and computer crimes in reporting about a local business owner’s driving record. (The Associated Press, April 1, 2024, by John Hanna)