A federal investigation expanded Thursday as prosecutors subpoenaed a fourth peace activist to appear before a grand jury and secured a court order forbidding Drake University officials to discuss a demand for information about a November antiwar conference on campus.

 

Federal authorities so far have refused to disclose what the investigation is about or what laws might have been broken. But an officer with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force served a subpoena to Wendy Vasquez of Des Moines on Thursday morning.

 

Vasquez, an antiwar activist who visited Iraq in 2002, was surprised.

 

“Just the whole idea that somebody would think I’m a terrorist is ludicrous,” she said.

 

Vasquez’s summons was the latest grand jury subpoena issued as part of a federal investigation that includes three other antiwar activists, as well as records of an activist legal group at Drake.

 

Vasquez was among dozens of activists who attended a Nov. 15 conference at Drake called “Stop the Occupation! Bring the Iowa Guard Home!”

 

The conference was hosted by the Drake Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. The event was followed the next day by a demonstration at the Iowa National Guard Headquarters in Johnston where 12 protesters were arrested.

 

On Wednesday, federal investigators subpoenaed three activists involved that weekend. Elton Davis, Patti McKee and Brian Terrell have been ordered to appear in Des Moines before a federal grand jury on Tuesday.

 

Davis and Vasquez were arrested at the Nov. 16 demonstration, which Terrell also attended. McKee, who could not be reached for comment, is listed as an organizer of the conference.

 

Federal prosecutors have refused to discuss the investigation or the purpose of the grand jury.

 

But Thursday morning, at the request of the U.S. attorney’s office in Des Moines, U.S. District Judge Ronald Longstaff issued an order under seal – meaning its contents are secret.

 

Sources say the order prohibits Drake employees from commenting about a separate subpoena demanding university records.

 

The Drake subpoena asks for all records relating to the Nov. 15 conference. It also demands information about leaders of the National Lawyers Guild, location of the guild’s offices and any annual reports since 2002.

 

Part of the subpoena asks for “all records of Drake University campus security reflecting any observations made of the November 15, 2003, meeting, including any records of persons in charge or control of the meeting, and any records of attendees of the meeting.”

 

The National Lawyers Guild is a New York-based organization that regularly involves itself in social activism and the defense of protesters. A guild official vowed that the group will fight the subpoena “with everything that we have.”

 

“It’s a clear First Amendment violation and a clear attempt to intimidate lawful expression,” said Heidi Boghosian, the guild’s executive director. “We have no intention of turning anything over.”

 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Vanderschel said Thursday that he could “neither confirm nor deny the existence of any ongoing investigation.”

 

“I’m not able to provide any further comments,” he said.

 

Drake officials also declined to comment when asked about the existence of a gag order.

 

Terrell, one of the activists who has been subpoenaed, was skeptical about the effort to silence Drake employees. “What they’re doing is they’re claiming it’s to protect the privacy of students,” he said.

 

 

Published on Friday, Feb. 6, 2004, in the Des Moines Register.

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