Confirmation Hearing; Sessions Opposes Protections For Reporters Publishing
Leaks
EDUCATE! ATTORNEY GENERAL, JOURNALISM, LEAK
By Kevin Gsoztola, www.shadowproof.com
January 13th, 2017
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Above Photo: Screen shot from CSPAN broadcast of Senator Jeff Sessions'
confirmation hearing for Attorney General
Republican Senator Jeff Sessions opposed protections for reporters, who have
viewpoints and publish contents from national security leaks, during his
confirmation hearing for the position of Attorney General.
Asked by Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar about upholding rules adopted by
the Justice Department and avoiding the jailing of journalists who do their
jobs, Sessions said, "I'm not sure. I have not studied those regulations."
Sessions suggested there were "few examples," where the press and Justice
Department disagreed on issues. "For the most part, there is a broadly
recognized and proper deference to the news media."
He added, "But you could have a situation in which a media is not really the
unbiased media we see today, and they could be a mechanism through which
unlawful intelligence is obtained."
"There are other dangers that could happen with regard to the federal
government that normally doesn't happen to the media covering murder cases
in the states."
While it may not be immediately obvious, Sessions was alluding to his view
about freedom of the press and his opposition to reporters, such as The
Intercept's Glenn Greenwald, who publish information from national security
documents.
As Klobuchar acknowledged in her question, Sessions opposed the Free Flow of
Information Act. The intent of the legislation was to codify reporter's
privilege into law and protect "journalists' confidential sources and
encourage the dissemination of information to the public from sources who
could hold the government accountable," according to the Reporters Committee
for Freedom of the Press (RCFP).
On September 12, 2013, Sessions stated in remarks on this legislation, "This
would be the first privilege I'm aware of that the virtually exclusive
purpose of it is to protect people who violated the law."
Sessions' remarks were in response to National Security Agency whistleblower
Edward Snowden's disclosures on the NSA's mass surveillance. He also alluded
to May that the Justice Department obtained sweeping access through secret
subpoenas to the telephone records of the Associated Press.
"Many news organizations that will be covered under this law represent
ideologies, foreign interests directly contrary to the United States'
national security interests," Sessions argued. "This legislation, in effect,
says we're going to create legal mechanisms to protect anyone who calls
himself a newsperson, and the leaker basically is the one being protected
from identification and prosecution for the plain violation of the duly
enacted classifications laws of the United States of America."
He added, "I think the latest events that we've seen where we've had
worldwide damage to the national security of the United States of America in
almost unprecedented levels, that that doesn't call for us to protect
leakers more. If anything, the problem this country has is we've been unable
to maintain national security secrecy."
Sessions "introduced several amendments" to legislation that would have
protected reporters in order "to broaden exceptions for information
pertaining to acts of terrorism or national security."
"We need to make it clear, so that a reporter says 'no, that information is
clearly not the type of information I can take and publish and protect you,
who are leaking in a criminal act secured information," Sessions previously
declared. "That's the way you create some kind of clarity in our
legislation. We're not attempting to prosecute a journalist. We're
attempting to tell the journalist precisely what.he can tell a potential
informant, leaker, spy, traitor.a cold-blooded traitor he could be dealing
with."
What Sessions essentially said is if the government assesses information
published is coming from a whistleblower, who the government sees as a
traitor and threat to national security, then there is no reason to hesitate
in targeting a journalist in ways that would violate freedom of the press.
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Confirmation Hearing; Sessions Opposes Protections For Reporters Publishing
Leaks
Educate! Attorney General, Journalism, Leak
By Kevin Gsoztola, www.shadowproof.com
January 13th, 2017
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Above Photo: Screen shot from CSPAN broadcast of Senator Jeff Sessions'
confirmation hearing for Attorney General
Republican Senator Jeff Sessions opposed protections for reporters, who have
viewpoints and publish contents from national security leaks, during his
confirmation hearing for the position of Attorney General.
Asked by Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar about upholding rules adopted by
the Justice Department and avoiding the jailing of journalists who do their
jobs, Sessions said, "I'm not sure. I have not studied those regulations."
Sessions suggested there were "few examples," where the press and Justice
Department disagreed on issues. "For the most part, there is a broadly
recognized and proper deference to the news media."
He added, "But you could have a situation in which a media is not really the
unbiased media we see today, and they could be a mechanism through which
unlawful intelligence is obtained."
"There are other dangers that could happen with regard to the federal
government that normally doesn't happen to the media covering murder cases
in the states."
While it may not be immediately obvious, Sessions was alluding to his view
about freedom of the press and his opposition to reporters, such as The
Intercept's Glenn Greenwald, who publish information from national security
documents.
As Klobuchar acknowledged in her question, Sessions opposed the Free Flow of
Information Act. The intent of the legislation was to codify reporter's
privilege into law and protect "journalists' confidential sources and
encourage the dissemination of information to the public from sources who
could hold the government accountable," according to the Reporters Committee
for Freedom of the Press (RCFP).
On September 12, 2013, Sessions stated in remarks on this legislation, "This
would be the first privilege I'm aware of that the virtually exclusive
purpose of it is to protect people who violated the law."
Sessions' remarks were in response to National Security Agency whistleblower
Edward Snowden's disclosures on the NSA's mass surveillance. He also alluded
to May that the Justice Department obtained sweeping access through secret
subpoenas to the telephone records of the Associated Press.
"Many news organizations that will be covered under this law represent
ideologies, foreign interests directly contrary to the United States'
national security interests," Sessions argued. "This legislation, in effect,
says we're going to create legal mechanisms to protect anyone who calls
himself a newsperson, and the leaker basically is the one being protected
from identification and prosecution for the plain violation of the duly
enacted classifications laws of the United States of America."
He added, "I think the latest events that we've seen where we've had
worldwide damage to the national security of the United States of America in
almost unprecedented levels, that that doesn't call for us to protect
leakers more. If anything, the problem this country has is we've been unable
to maintain national security secrecy."
Sessions "introduced several amendments" to legislation that would have
protected reporters in order "to broaden exceptions for information
pertaining to acts of terrorism or national security."
"We need to make it clear, so that a reporter says 'no, that information is
clearly not the type of information I can take and publish and protect you,
who are leaking in a criminal act secured information," Sessions previously
declared. "That's the way you create some kind of clarity in our
legislation. We're not attempting to prosecute a journalist. We're
attempting to tell the journalist precisely what.he can tell a potential
informant, leaker, spy, traitor.a cold-blooded traitor he could be dealing
with."
What Sessions essentially said is if the government assesses information
published is coming from a whistleblower, who the government sees as a
traitor and threat to national security, then there is no reason to hesitate
in targeting a journalist in ways that would violate freedom of the press.
