ACLU Comment on Justice Department Announcement on Leak Investigations

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced today that the Justice Department will review its policies for subpoenaing media organizations as part of its intensifying efforts to stop government leaks.

Ben Wizner, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, had the following reaction:

“Every American should be concerned about the Trump administration’s threat to step up its efforts against whistleblowers and journalists. A crackdown on leaks is a crackdown on the free press and on democracy as a whole.

“Our founders understood that democracy depends on an informed citizenry, and leaders can't be trusted to disclose vital information that reflects poorly on themselves. These first months of the Trump administration dramatically illustrate that point. Can anyone seriously argue that our country would be better off if the public received all of its information through official channels alone?”