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An affidavit in support of a criminal complaint and arrest warrant against a man accused in the leak of highly classified military documents.

AP Photo/Jon Elswick

Reporting on leaked information informs the public, while claims of harm are often overblown.

Journalists routinely rely on leaked information to inform the public. Without leaks, we’d be left in the dark about vital information involving the government, corporations, and powerful individuals, who often act in secret.

When government information is leaked, the U.S. routinely claims, without proof, that the leak damages national security. We should be skeptical of claims that leaks cause harm, and of broad leak investigations that can lead to the surveillance of journalists and sources and the chilling of reporting.

Write to your member of Congress

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Edit this message so that it is unique to you: Dear Member of Congress, As your constituent, I urge you to immediately and forcefully speak out against the subpoenas issued to The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets, and to support legislation protecting journalists from being required to reveal their confidential sources. The Department of Justice has reportedly subpoenaed the Journal and other news outlets as part of leak investigations related to their reporting about the Iran war. President Trump has labeled this reporting “treason.” Reporting about why and how the government wages war is not treason. It is the job of the press in a democracy to keep the public informed. Journalists need confidential sources to report news that the public has a right to know, especially because elected leaders often lie or hide the truth about military conflicts. But confidential sources won’t speak to journalists, and the public won’t learn the truth about what the government is up to, if prosecutors can subpoena journalists to unmask their sources. That is exactly the goal of the subpoenas sent to the Journal and other news outlets. These subpoenas have nothing to do with protecting our national security. They are meant to intimidate reporters and sources, and to deter essential reporting that keeps Americans informed about the war in Iran. As a member of Congress, you have a duty to speak out against abuses of the administration that harm the free press and, in turn, the American people. I ask that you please publicly condemn the subpoenas to the Journal and other news outlets in the strongest possible terms. In addition, I urge you to support future legislation like the PRESS Act, which would protect journalists from being forced to reveal their confidential sources. That bipartisan bill passed the House without any objection and had bipartisan support in the Senate in 2024. If you have already spoken out about this issue, thank you. URLs are not allowed in this message.

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Thank you for encouraging your member of Congress to speak out against government subpoenas targeting the press.

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Join me in telling Congress that it must forcefully condemn the Trump administration’s subpoenas to journalists trying to uncover their confidential sources: https://freedom.press/action/congress-speak-out-against-subpoenas-targeting-wsj-and-other-news-outlets

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