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Journalist David Farrier Faces Restraining Order Lawsuit After Investigating Congressional Candidate's Partner

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Independent journalist David Farrier, who runs the investigative newsletter Webworm, is being sued in California by James Sved -- partner of congressional candidate Anna Wilding -- in what appears to be an attempt to silence reporting on the couple. The lawsuit seeks a restraining order against Farrier, who has never been near Sved or Wilding, and follows a pattern of legal intimidation tactics used against journalists covering powerful figures with questionable backgrounds.

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Independent journalist David Farrier learned he was being sued the most American way possible: through an advertisement disguised as a legal notice.

The New Zealand-born investigative reporter, known for his documentary Tickled and his newsletter Webworm, received a letter this week from a California attorney fishing for business. In tiny print at the top: "Attention: This is an advertisement." The firm had apparently scanned court filings for new cases, cross-referenced defendants, and mass-mailed solicitations.

But the case itself is real. James Sved -- partner of Anna Wilding, who is running for U.S. Congress -- has filed a lawsuit in California seeking a restraining order against Farrier. The journalist has never been in the same room as either Sved or Wilding.

A Pattern of Legal Intimidation

Farrier sees the lawsuit as part of a familiar playbook. He has covered Sved and Wilding extensively in recent months, documenting what he describes as a decades-long pattern of fabrications and questionable business dealings. The reporting has included eight installments tracking everything from disputed Wikipedia entries to allegations about Wilding's professional background.

"I imagine he's doing this to intimidate me and make it difficult for me to cover Anna Wilding's run for Congress," Farrier wrote to his subscribers. If a restraining order is granted, Farrier would be legally barred from attending Wilding's campaign events -- assuming Sved would be present.

There is also a darker possibility. Violating a restraining order in the United States can be grounds for deportation. Farrier, who lives in Los Angeles on a visa, notes that the people he investigates often play a long game.

Not the First Time

This is not Farrier's first rodeo with legal harassment. In 2016, David D'Amato sued him as the documentary Tickled was about to be released. In 2023, Michael Organ sought a restraining order against him ahead of the New Zealand premiere of Mister Organ.

"It's what these types of people tend to do," Farrier said.

Under California law, harassment is defined as "unlawful violence, a credible threat of violence, or a knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a specific person that seriously alarms, annoys, or harasses the person, and that serves no legitimate purpose."

The key phrase: "serves no legitimate purpose." Journalism -- even aggressive investigative journalism -- is constitutionally protected activity. Courts have repeatedly held that reporting on public figures, particularly those seeking elected office, cannot be classified as harassment simply because the subjects find it inconvenient or embarrassing.

The Streisand Effect

Farrier has not yet been served in person, but expects Sved has already been granted a temporary restraining order by default -- a standard procedural step in California civil harassment cases. He is now seeking legal representation in California to fight the order.

"The whole idea of journalism is to hold power to account, and shine light into the darkness," Farrier wrote. "Sunlight is the best disinfectant. All that cheesy stuff."

He also noted the irony: lawsuits designed to suppress embarrassing information often backfire spectacularly, drawing far more attention to the original allegations. The phenomenon even has a name -- the Streisand Effect, coined after Barbra Streisand's failed 2003 lawsuit to suppress photos of her Malibu home.

Farrier's investigation into Sved and Wilding has already spanned eight detailed installments, documenting what he describes as fabricated credentials, disputed business dealings, and a pattern of threatening legal action against critics. Wilding is running for Congress in California. Sved, according to Farrier's reporting, has a history of presenting himself as a high-level intelligence operative with connections to powerful figures -- claims that do not withstand scrutiny.

Crowdfunded Accountability

Farrier funds his work through paid subscriptions to Webworm, which allows him to operate independently of traditional media outlets and their legal departments. He thanked his subscribers for making it possible to afford legal representation.

"This is a very practical example of how you keep this place afloat," he said.

The case is a test of whether independent journalists can continue to investigate powerful figures without being buried in frivolous litigation. For Farrier, it is also personal. He has built a career on shining light into dark corners -- and the people in those corners keep trying to turn the lights back off.