Newspaper receives subpoena for letters from Oklahoma bombing suspect

Newspaper receives subpoena for letters from Oklahoma bombing suspect

05/02/95

NEW YORK–The Union-Sun and Journal of Lockport complied with a subpoena in late April for documents related to letters to the editor submitted in 1992 by the main suspect in the Oklahoma City bombing.

A federal grand jury in Oklahoma City issued the subpoena to Dan Kane, managing editor of the newspaper, demanding that he produce copies of two letters sent by Timothy J. McVeigh and one sent this year by his sister, Jennifer McVeigh. The newspaper sent the documents to the grand jury in late April.

In 1992 the newspaper printed a letter from Timothy McVeigh that said in part: “What is it going to take to open the eyes of our elected officials? Do we have to shed blood to reform the current system? I hope it doesn’t come to that. But it might.”

In March, the newspaper published a letter written by Jennifer McVeigh which criticized the government’s actions at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas in 1993.

The subpoena was served on Kane during a press conference at the newspaper’s office.

Timothy McVeigh wrote the two letters to the paper when he was a sergeant with the New York Army National Guard at a base in nearby Tonawanda. (United States v. McVeigh; Media Counsel: George C. Muscato, Lockport)