Is the White House threatening journalists with prosecution for acting on leaks?
Numerous employees at the CIA, FBI, Justice Department and other agencies also have received letters from Justice prohibiting them from discussing even unclassified issues related to the NSA program, according to sources familiar with the notices. Some GOP lawmakers are also considering whether to approve tougher penalties for leaking.[snip]
"Almost every administration has kind of come in saying they want an open administration, and then getting bad press and fuming about leaks," said David Greenberg, a Rutgers University journalism professor and author of "Nixon's Shadow." "But it's a pretty fair statement to say you haven't seen this kind of crackdown on leaks since the Nixon administration."
The CIA has been conducting polygraph exams to try to learn whether employees have had any contact with journalists. Then there's this:
"It is my aim, and it is my hope, that we will witness a grand jury investigation with reporters present being asked to reveal who is leaking this information," Goss told a Senate committee.
This is still the United States, right? It's getting awfully close to Orwell-land here. What's next, mind control? Oh, right, we've got Fox News for that. Never mind.
Posted by Linkmeister at March 5, 2006 12:01 AM | TrackBack