Justice Dept. and Julian Assange reach plea deal in case that threatens press freedom
AP Photo/Cliff Owen
The Espionage Act is an unconstitutional law used to prosecute whistleblowers and news publishers.
The Espionage Act is a broad secrecy law that outlaws the sharing of defense information with anyone, for any reason.
In recent years, the law has been wielded to stifle dissent and journalism. Whistleblowers have been imprisoned under the law. It’s also been used against journalists and news outlets that publish government secrets.
We must reform the Espionage Act to distinguish between spying and the exposing of wrongdoing.
Featured Items
-
Whistleblower Reality Winner sentenced to longest prison term in the history of federal leak cases
For alerting the public about hacking attempts on election infrastructure, Reality was given five years in jail.
-
Reality and the Espionage Act
The first whistleblower prosecuted by the Trump administration, Reality Winner pled guilty to one count of violating the Espionage Act. Her case is the latest in a long history of targeting sources and whistleblowers under the draconian law.
-
Freedom of the Press Foundation statement on whistleblower Reality Winner’s plea deal
Former intelligence contractor and whistleblower Reality Winner has pled guilty to leaking a secret NSA report to the press.
-
The accused FBI whistleblower indicted by Trump's DOJ allegedly leaked secret rules for spying on reporters
If alleged whistleblower Terry Albury did what he is accused of, journalists should consider him a hero.
-
Obama used the Espionage Act to put a record number of reporters' sources in jail, and Trump could be even worse
Will the Trump administration use the Espionage Act to prosecute reporters?
-
How the Espionage Act morphed into a dangerous tool used to prosecute sources and threaten journalists
The Espionage Act is a draconian statute used to stifle press freedom for decades.
-
Edward Snowden on Trump administration's recent arrest of an alleged journalistic source
The Trump administration charged a news outlet's source under the draconian Espionage Act this week. Edward Snowden responds.
-
Statement on Trump allegedly telling Comey to jail reporters for publishing classified information
Trump allegedly urged Comey to imprison journalists who publish classified information. This is a grave threat to press freedom.
-
Incredible news: President Obama has commuted the sentence of whistleblower Chelsea Manning
Brave whistleblower Chelsea Manning will be released from prison on May 17th, rather than in 2045.
-
How the Obama administration laid the groundwork for Trump’s coming crackdown on the press
Trump has threatened to crackdown on the press, and sadly Obama has left him all the tools to do so.
