Marion Police Department raided Marion County Record newsroom and homes of its publisher and a former city council member
On August 11, 2023, Marion, Kansas police under Chief Gideon Cody raided the offices of the Marion County Record and the homes of publisher Eric Meyer and former city council member Ruth Herbel, seizing computers, cellphones and reporting materials. Cody said he was investigating whether the paper had committed identity theft by checking a local restaurant owner's state driving record, which special prosecutors later found was accessible to the public without falsifying identity. Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey withdrew the search warrants five days later, saying insufficient evidence tied the alleged crime to what was searched and seized.