ABC News Employee Who 'Disappeared Abruptly' After FBI Raided His Home Resigned From Network To Avoid Embarrassment
Oct. 25 2022, Published 4:30 p.m. ET
The ABC News employee who disappeared six months ago after the FBI raided his Virginia home reportedly left the network to avoid embarrassment following the raid, RadarOnline.com has learned.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, 52-year-old James Gordon Meek abruptly resigned as an investigative producer at ABC News on April 27 – the same day the FBI raided his Arlington, Virginia apartment.
Meek's Arlington, Virginia Apartment
According to Rolling Stone, who first reported on the FBI’s raid and Meek’s mysterious disappearance immediately thereafter, Meek was allegedly suspected of possessing classified documents on his personal computer.
But now, according to a more recent report published by Daily Beast on Monday, Meek’s disappearance, his abrupt resignation from ABC News and the FBI’s raid on his apartment are not connected.
Sources who spoke to Daily Beast revealed that Meek is not only safe and living with his mother, but he also resigned as the network’s investigative producer to “avoid embarrassment.”
Meek reportedly told friends he left ABC News for “personal reasons” and in an effort to “save colleagues and the company any embarrassment.”
Following news of Meek’s alleged “disappearance” last week, readers speculated the investigative journalist’s work with classified documents was a main reason for the raid on his apartment.
Although the FBI refused to comment on the search and seizure operation conducted at Meek’s home, the Justice Department spoke out and revealed the raid was not in connection to Meek’s work as an investigative journalist.
“While the department cannot speak to any specific case or activity, the Department strictly adheres to the Attorney General's July 2021 memorandum prohibiting the use of compulsory process with regards to members of the news media acting within the scope of newsgathering activities,” Dena Iverson, who serves as the principal deputy director in the DOJ's Office of Public Affairs, said.
ABC News, with whom Meek worked with for nine years, confirmed the former employee “resigned very abruptly” – although the network did not investigate Meek’s resignation or subsequent disappearance.
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Eugene Gorokhov, Meek’s lawyer, has since confirmed he “knew nothing” about any alleged classified documents in his client’s possession. Gorokhov also that argued any documents in Meek’s possession should legally be within the scope of his career as an investigative journalist.
“Mr. Meek is unaware of what allegations anonymous sources are making about his possession of classified documents,” Gorokhov said. “If such documents exist, as claimed, this would be within the scope of Mr. Meek’s long career as an investigative journalist covering government wrongdoing.”
Meek was previously co-writing a book about President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, although the investigative journalist has since withdrawn from the book’s publication and is no longer listed as an author of the work.
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