Alabama Newspaper Publisher and Reporter Arrested for Exposing Confidential Grand Jury Information, Publisher Charged with Violating State Ethics Law

Arrests followed Atmore News reporting on an investigation into the local school board's handling of federal pandemic relief funds; allegations claim publisher used her position on the school board for personal gain, as press freedom advocates call for immediate dismissal of charges.

• Alabama newspaper publisher and school board member, Sherry Digmon, along with reporter Donald Fletcher, were arrested and charged with revealing confidential grand jury information related to an investigation into the local school board's handling of federal pandemic relief funds.
• The Atmore News published articles alleging that the Escambia County Board of Education had received a subpoena seeking information about bonuses paid from pandemic relief funds and that the phones of school board members, including Digmon, had been seized by authorities.
• Digmon was arrested for a second time and charged with violating state ethics law, with allegations claiming she used her position on the school board for personal gain, and improperly solicited a thing of value by selling $2,500 worth of advertisements to the school system.
• The Committee to Protect Journalists has called on local authorities to immediately dismiss all charges related to revealing leaked information against Digmon and Fletcher, stating reporters shouldn’t be prosecuted for covering matters of public interest.
• The case has drawn the attention of press freedom advocates across the country, who cite First Amendment protections and the need for journalists to report on matters of public concern without fear of legal retribution.

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