| Description: | The recent online publication of classified defense documents by the organization WikiLeaks and subsequent reporting by the New York Times and other news media have focused attention on whether such publication violates U.S. criminal law. The Justice Department and Department of Defense are investigating the circumstances to determine whether any prosecutions will be undertaken in connection with the disclosure. This report discusses the statutory prohibitions that may be implicated, including the Espionage Act; the extraterritorial application of such statutes; and the First Amendment implications related to such prosecutions against domestic or foreign media organizations and associated individuals. The report provides a summary of recent legislation relevant to the issue as well as some previous efforts to criminalize the unauthorized disclosure of classified information. |
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| Creator(s): | Elsea, Jennifer K. |
| Location(s): | United States |
| Creation Date: | January 10, 2011 |
| Partner(s): |
UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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| Collection(s): |
Congressional Research Service Reports
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| Usage: |
Total Uses: 15
Past 30 days: 2
Yesterday: 0
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| Creator (Author): |
Elsea, Jennifer K.
Legislative Attorney |
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| Publisher Info: |
Publisher Name: Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress
Place of Publication: Washington, D.C.
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| Coverage: |
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| Description: | The recent online publication of classified defense documents by the organization WikiLeaks and subsequent reporting by the New York Times and other news media have focused attention on whether such publication violates U.S. criminal law. The Justice Department and Department of Defense are investigating the circumstances to determine whether any prosecutions will be undertaken in connection with the disclosure. This report discusses the statutory prohibitions that may be implicated, including the Espionage Act; the extraterritorial application of such statutes; and the First Amendment implications related to such prosecutions against domestic or foreign media organizations and associated individuals. The report provides a summary of recent legislation relevant to the issue as well as some previous efforts to criminalize the unauthorized disclosure of classified information. |
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| Physical Description: |
27 pages. |
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| Partner: |
UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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| Collection: |
Congressional Research Service Reports
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| Identifier: |
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| Resource Type: | Text | |
| Format: | Text | |
