A letter from the executive director
2019 was a year of grave threats to First Amendment rights.
In San Francisco, police raided the home and office of a freelance journalist, Bryan Carmody, seizing his entire newsroom. In Washington, D.C., the Department of Justice blocked efforts to shed light on their seizure of phone and email records from a New York Times journalist, apparently in violation of DOJ’s own rules. And across California, police unions waged an all-out battle to stop landmark police-transparency legislation from exposing police misconduct.
The First Amendment Coalition was at the front of each one of these battles, fighting for the rights of journalists and all citizens to know what their government is doing. FAC gets results. For example, we:
- Secured expert legal counsel for Bryan Carmody, the subject of five unlawful search warrants SFPD executed on his home, office and phones.
- Successfully unsealed key records from Carmody raid, which made it possible to hold government officials accountable.
- Led a successful statewide court fight in California to ensure that records of serious police misconduct are publicly available.
And much, much more. To keep our work going, we rely on support from people like you. If you think the First Amendment and government transparency are worth protecting, please make a tax-deductible, year-end donation today.
If you give now, your donation will have an even greater impact, thanks to a $10,000 matching grant from the Central Valley Foundation.
Supporters contributing $500 or more will be enrolled in the FAC Leadership Society, a special donor circle. Society members enjoy benefits including special gifts and events.
Thank you for standing with FAC in these extraordinary times.
Sincerely,
David Snyder, FAC Executive Director