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ASSANGE HEARING DAY SIX—Prosecutor Says Government Can Prosecute Journalist for Publishing
https://consortiumnews.com/2020/09/15/assange-hearing-day-six-prosecutor-says-govt-can-prosecute-journalist-for-publishing/
Prosecutor James Lewis QC established in court that the U.S. government can prosecute a journalist for unauthorized publication of classified information, despite the First Amendment concerns of the defense.
“The right of free speech and the public’s right to know are not absolutes,” prosecutor Lewis said on cross examination of defense witness Eric Lewis, and can be “restricted” if the release of “national defense information … could threaten the security of the nation.”
James Lewis set out that the Espionage Act be used against government employees who breach their trust with the government, but also that the government can prosecute those outside a relationship with the government, such as journalists” who ...