Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, argued that newly confirmed facts in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia undermine the defense’s central claim of vindictive prosecution.
“This fact flies in the face of that narrative because it suggests this case was completely organic and again, came through the media and public reporting,” Pappert said during Wednesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, pointing to federal filings that acknowledge investigators first learned of the case through reporting by The Star.
Pappert’s remarks come as both prosecutors and defense attorneys have now formally confirmed in court filings that the federal investigation into Abrego Garcia began only after The Star’s 2025 exclusive news report, which detailed a 2022 traffic stop of Abrego Garcia by the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
According to testimony cited in those filings, federal officials were previously unaware of the incident until they encountered The Star’s article.
During Wednesday’s broadcast, host Michael Patrick Leahy, the CEO and editor-in-chief of The Star, emphasized the significance of that reporting, noting it was recognized nationally with the 2025 Dao Prize for Best Local Journalism.
Pappert explained that this timeline directly challenges the defense’s assertion that federal authorities targeted Abrego Garcia unfairly or with bias. Instead, he said, the evidence shows that a standard investigative process was initiated using publicly available information.
“They both testified we had no idea that Kilmar Abrego Garcia had anything to do with the state of Tennessee until we read a report from the Tennessee Star,” Pappert said, referring to testimony from a former Homeland Security Investigations agent and a federal prosecutor.
The defense, however, has argued that because officials in Maryland were aware of the 2022 traffic stop and chose not to pursue charges at the time, the later decision to prosecute constitutes vindictive action.
Pappert rejected that reasoning, describing it as flawed given the change in administrations and jurisdiction.
“It seems to me that it is the complete prerogative of the government… to move forward under a different administration and different leadership,” he said.
The issue is now before U.S. District Court Judge Waverly Crenshaw, who must decide whether the case should proceed or be dismissed on the grounds of vindictive prosecution.
“There’s a real possibility this Obama-appointed judge could end up dismissing these charges. Now if that happens, I don’t think the case ends here. I think that decision will be appealed,” Pappert noted.
Separately, U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled an April 28 hearing in a related immigration case to consider whether to dissolve an injunction blocking Abrego Garcia’s detention.
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https://t.co/fPiU85X1cY— Michael Patrick Leahy (@michaelpleahy) April 8, 2026
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
