DELMAR, N.Y. (NEWS10) - A FBI raid of former USMC Intelligence Officer and United Nations Weapons Inspector William Scott Ritter Jr.'s home took place in Delmar on Wednesday. According to Ritter, the FBI acted on a search warrant for his home for violating the Foreign Agents Restriction Act.
According to Sanjay Goel, a professor at the School of Business at the University at Albany and an expert in information security, Ritter would be prohibited from speaking to a foreign agent without reporting it to the federal government to be in compliance with the Foreign Agents Restriction Act. Goel adds that Ritter's experience speaking publicly overseas could be a clue as to why the FBI took material from his home.
“So in his case, he was been a critic of the US government across a broad range of policy and there is a fine line between free speech and national security," Goel said. "And I think that's where perceptions differ."
Bill Peeler, an international security expert, explains what the FBI could have been potentially looking for during the raid of Ritter’s home.
“Some type of evidence, you know, tampering of records or communications or things of that nature," Peeler said. "Obviously, some type of alleged violation, they're looking for evidence of any foreign influence.”
According to a long-time friend and colleague of Ritter, Larry Johnson, Ritter is being targeted for speaking out about his beliefs, and Johnson said he is worried for Ritter.
“Scott’s not out to divulge declassified documents," Johnson said. "Scott is just pointing out stupidity of American policy because he talks to Russians or he’ll talk to foreign nationals. That not a crime.”
However, Goel said that according to the Foreign Agents Restriction Law, anytime Ritter had communication with a foreign national, he had to let the U.S. government know.
"They need to report it and every six months they need to tell them of activities, how much money they are getting, what they are doing so and this becomes a public database for public review,” Goel said.
Ritter said that he is not intimidated by the FBI raid on his home and will continue to speak out about his beliefs.
"I am not intimidated, and I will continue to speak out," Ritter said. "And I will continue to do what I do because that’s my responsibility as an American citizen.”
The FBI has not released any updated information on the investigation.
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