Posted on 01/05/2006 10:04:21 PM PST by doesnt suffer fools gladly
NY Times Facing NSA Leak Indictment?
The New York Times reporters who broke the Bush "Spygate" story, as well as the paper's top executives who approved its publication, face the very real prospect of criminal indictment by the Bush Justice Department - a lawyer involved in the 1971 Pentagon Papers battle is warning.
With a full-blown Justice Department investigation now underway, Harvey Silvergate tells the Boston Phoenix: "A variety of federal statutes, from the Espionage Act on down, give Bush ample means to prosecute the Times reporters who got the scoop, James Risen and Eric Lichtblau."
Silvergate represented several parties in the Pentagon Papers litigation, a first amendment battle royale that pitted the Nixon administration against the Times, the Boston Globe and the Washington Post 35 years ago. The Watergate scandal's rising tide, however, swamped then-Attorney General John Mitchell, prompting him to abandon plans to prosecute the three papers.
This time, says Silvergate, the White House and the Old Gray Lady appear to be on an unavoidable collision course.
"Even Executive Editor Bill Keller and Publisher Arthur 'Pinch' Sulzberger Jr., could become targets," he predicts.
Silvergate says he's amazed that the prospect of criminal prosecution hasn't generated more controversy, especially since "such an indictment could be brought in short order."
The mere publication of the Times story on Dec. 16 could be considered a crime, he warns, and charges could be filed even before the DOJ probe ferrets out the identity of the leakers.
To be sure, Silvergate is no fan of the Bush administration - and says the Times was right to blow the lid off the secret surveillance program. He warns that any upcoming prosecution would be the product of "a vengeful White House concerned not so much with disclosure of national secrets as with revelation of its own reckless conduct."
Still, the Pentagon Papers veteran predicts that the Times' defense would be no slam dunk - especially since Keller and Sulzberger were personally warned by President Bush in an Oval Office meeting last year that publication of the story could damage national security.
Go after the leaker, but this is no win situation.
ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease...
Book 'em, Danno. I WANT MY PERP WALK!
Didn't think indictments would come so soon. I can't wait.
"The New York Times" is not some monolithic faceless alien oracle.
It is run by this man Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and his cadre of socialist crook propagandists from NYC's 42nd st.
Sulzberger is an enemy of the state and should be surveilled and brought up on charges of sedition.
I'm guessing their lawyer won't attempt the "ignorance of illegal acts" defense here. You're kinda screwed on that count when the President of the country has personally told you your story could damage national security.
bttt
My guess is that the President has this all figured out and the Abramoff investigation is going to help him, not hurt him. The woman in charge of the criminal division for the justice dept was appointed by Bush in August, as a recess appointment. Her previous job was aid to the Secty of Homeland Security, Chertoff. She helped plan the Bush response to the 9/11 attack (who knows, maybe she even had a say in the surveillance). The
Rats tried to block her nomination because of the part she played in homeland security and the interrogation of prisoners. They see her as the enemy.
My guess is that Bush would be willing to see any crooked Republicans go down, if it meant getting rid of some of the top Democrat crooks, along with them.
I understand looking broadly at where a fight will lead but I find your take on this way too timid. Even this anti-Bush guy is admitting that the slimes has serious jeopardy here
They were WARNED OFF by the Prez. And you know that talked it over at the top and with counsel. Still, they decided to flout the law and compromise national security by publishing.
I realize that a shrill cry about the 1st Amendment will go up. The country needs to be educated. The left wants to put our guys UNDER the freakin' jail for the least technical offense. And you don't have the cajones for this fight???
I say let's rumble! (And remember, BoR ain't no suicide pact!)
With the public's support of the media so low, I don't know if they will be heros to anyone beyond the far left. They betrayed the country.
My guess is that the reason the Times sat on the story was to give Risen a chance to finish his book. This would accomplish 3 things for the nyt...
1) More bashing of the Bush administration
2) A chance to make some money off of the "tie in"
3) Coverage for Risen... He writes a book critical of the Bush administration, and even though he's committed treason, or something just short of it, he'll plead that the administration is on a witch hunt because of his book.
Mark
I disagree- for this reason: Bush is willing and anxious to see crooked Republicans go down. PERIOD. And if Dem traitors go down, oh, well.
Exactly how this fits the thread slightly eludes me but, anyway, I will bite:
Prez must be willing to see Repbulicans go down if they are crooks REGARDLESS of what happens with Dems. Else, he and I would be finished. (Not worried though, about him. A little worried about you.)
Pinch'll go over great in prison. So to speak.
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