GRAND JURY IN DAVENPORT SETS EYES ON A THIRD PERSON

Monday, January 25 2010 Infoshop News

Leana Stormont became the third person subpoenaed by that grand jury
in Davenport, Iowa which is out to get animal rights activists
however they can. One man, Scott DeMuth has been indicted and is free
on bond. One woman, Carrie Feldman, has been locked up since before
thanksgiving for heroically refusing to cooperate with the grand jury.

Leana was a graduate student at the University of Iowa at the time of
the ALF raid on a lab on campus. That action saw the rescue of 401
animals from the Spence psychology labs in an overnight raid by the
ALF. She was a visible animal rights activist at the time and has
been on the Feds radar screen ever since.

It has been an historic tactic of the FBI to go after visible, above
ground activists since they have exhibited a complete inability to
find anyone who doesn't want to be found. The FBI resents looking
like the incompetents that they often are. This is not to say if
evidence of some nefarious act exists in a concrete form that they
won't find it. They are really good at sifting through trash and that
sort of thing...if you catch my drift.

The following is from Voice of the Voiceless.

University of Iowa Graduate Subpoenaed to A.L.F. Grand Jury
by Peter Young

Former University of Iowa student and barred attorney subpoenaed to
testify in Animal Liberation Front investigation.

A University of Iowa graduate has been named as the latest person
subpoenaed to testify to a grand jury seeking those responsible for
the 2004 Animal Liberation Front raid of the University of Iowa.

Leana Stormont, a barred attorney and graduate of the University of
Iowa law school, was involved with animal rights activism on campus
at the time of the 2004 A.L.F. raid. The action saw the rescue of 401
animals from the Spence psychology labs in an overnight raid by the A.L.F.

A visible animal rights activist on campus, Leana Stormont appears to
have been on the FBI's radar since the Animal Liberation Front
break-in. After experiencing harassment in the post-raid FBI
investigation, she published an article in the American Chronicle
titled " Caring About Animals is Not a Crime" on being surveilled by
the FBI and the government's practice of spying on activists.

With this targeting of a former student activist, the subpoena
continues this investigation's theme of persecuting academic research
and expression.

The first person charged in relation to the U of I raid, Scott
DeMuth, is not an animal rights activist, but a scholar. 17 years old
at the time of the raid, DeMuth appears to have been targeted for his
research into the animal rights movements as part of his graduate
work at the University of Minnesota. DeMuth was subpoenaed to testify
at the grand jury in November after journals were seized in a raid of
his home by police attempting to neutralize protests at the 2008
Republican National Convention. In the journals, police claim, were
notes on interviews with research subjects indicating to the FBI
DeMuth may have privileged knowledge of the animal rights movement.
No information specific to the University of Iowa Animal Liberation
Front raid has yet been alleged. After refusing to testify, DeMuth
was charged with Animal Enterprise Terrorism. He remains out of jail
pending trial.

Continuing with this trend - while information at this point is
sparse - it would come as no surprise if Leana Stormont is being
targeted solely because she was an outspoken University of Iowa
animal rights activist at the time of the raid, and was supportive of
the A.L.F. in the media. She gave this quote from her op-ed in
support of the A.L.F. action, published in the University of Iowa
student paper:

As a matter of ethical coherence, I do not believe anyone can condemn
the actions at Spence [the laboratory that was attacked by the ALF]
without likewise condemning the fact that thousands of animals have
been intentionally subject to psychological terror and have lost
their lives within the confines of that laboratory. . . .

This new subpoena means the FBI remains on the rampage in pursuit of
those who picked locks and broke down doors at the University of Iowa
in 2004, giving over 400 animals a second chance at life.

By Leana Stormount
http://www.laughingwolf.com/animal_rights/caring-about-animals.html
http://www.satyamag.com/nov05/stormont.html