Published May 15, 2013
FoxNews.com
Attorney General Eric Holder testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, May 15, 2013, before the House Judiciary Committee.AP
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder repeatedly told the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday that he could not answer any questions related to claims the Justice Department infringed on the First Amendment rights of The Associated Press when it secretly collected telephone records of its reporters and editors over a two-month period last year.
Holder said he had recused himself last year from any involvement in the investigation of national security leaks and therefore could not answer any questions related to the case.
When pressed to provide additional comment, Holder said: "I am not familiar with the reasons why (the subpoena was issued). I am simply not a part of the investigation."
Instead, he said actions taken by the Justice Department were being made by Deputy Attorney General James Cole.
On Monday, AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt disclosed the government’s action in a letter to Holder that was made public. In it, Pruitt called the collection of phone records at four AP bureaus a “massive and unprecedented intrusion” of the news agency’s freedom of press rights granted under the U.S. Constitution.
The AP case immediately sparked bipartisan outrage, leading members of both parties to publicly question the government’s actions.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said the attorney general should resign over the issue, adding: "Freedom of the press is an essential right in a free society."
On Wednesday, New York Sen. Charles Schumer said he plans to reintroduce legislation that would protect journalists from revealing their sources. The bill, which was brought up in 2009, has since stalled in Congress.
The Obama administration has been very aggressive in going after government workers leaking classified information. To date, the White House has brought indictments against five workers. The Defense Department is pursuing a sixth case against the U.S. Army soldier accused of sending classified documents to the anti-secrecy online group WikiLeaks.
Under Holder’s command, the Justice Department has prosecuted more government officials for alleged leaks under the World War I-era Espionage Act than all of the AGs who came before him – combined.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét