An independent reporter who was credentialed by the New York Police Department to report from the scene of emergencies as a recognized member of the media was arrested by law enforcement investigators this week for allegedly participating in certain hate crimes.
Samuel Seligson, 32, was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of committing third-degree hate crimes and criminal mischief in connection with a vandalism spree at the home of several board members of the Brooklyn Museum.
Seligson is not accused of participating in the vandalism. Instead, police sources say he helped at least four other individuals load up their vans with spray paint, traveled with them to the location of the crimes, and served as a “look out” while they carried out the deed.
Leena Widdi, an attorney representing Seligson, said her client was working as a credentialed member of the news media to document the incident, and characterized the charges as an “appalling” case of police and prosecutorial overreach.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation issued a statement on Tuesday morning that described Seligson’s arrest as “very alarming.”
“We’ve written before about how the NYPD appears to already be disregarding its commitment to stop violating journalists’ rights in a recent settlement agreement over past abuses,” a spokesperson for the organization said on Tuesday. “This is yet another giant step in the exact opposite direction.”
The Freedom of the Press Foundation has previously spoken out against law enforcement investigations against other journalists, well before the full facts of the cases were made public. Last year, the organization issued a statement defending Timothy Burke, a former Deadspin editor, following a raid on his home. Burke was later charged with over a dozen counts related to computer hacking, conspiracy and unlawful interception of electronic communications; his trial is tentatively scheduled for October.
In this instance, the statement from the Freedom of the Press Foundation included a link to a story from the Associated Press, which characterized Seligson as a credentialed member of the news media who “documented pro-Palestinian vandalism.” The initial write-up did not include information about what crimes Seligson was accused of, though the AP later distributed a follow-up story that included some light details from the police affidavit in support of his arrest.
It was the New York Post and AM New York, two of the city’s tabloid newspapers, that offered the fullest account of what Seligson is accused of. Some social media sleuths also uncovered postings from X (formerly Twitter), which appeared to show Seligson affirming his participation in some protests as an activist, rather than a documentarian.
Seligson frequently appears at the scene of protests, some of which devolve into tense confrontations with New York police. His footage has been licensed by news organizations like the Associated Press, WPIX-TV (Channel 11) and Reuters in the past.
It was not clear if any news organization licensed Seligson’s footage of the anti-Jewish vandalism that took place in June. Footage of the incident was scrubbed from his Twitch account before his arrest was publicized on Tuesday.
