Lawmakers mull punishing journalists revealing secrets

Jennifer A. Dlouhy
Hearst Newspapers
May. 27, 2006 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON - Lawmakers angry that the New York Times disclosed the existence of the government's secret warrantless surveillance program on Friday said the Justice Department should aggressively go after journalists whose stories rely on leaked classified information.

Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., told a rare public meeting of the House Intelligence Committee that news articles revealing details of classified intelligence-gathering operations have weakened the country's fight against terrorists.

"When you get down to leaking methods and tactics, when you (start) giving away operational details . . . I believe the attorney general and the president of this nation should use" all laws at their disposal to check journalists, Renzi said.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales recently raised the possibility of using an 89-year-old espionage statute to prosecute journalists who publish classified information.

That law makes it a crime to convey information that would help enemies or interfere with the success of U.S. armed forces.

Asked whether journalists should be prosecuted for publishing classified information, Gonzales said, "There are some statutes on the books which, if you read the language carefully, would seem to indicate that is a possibility."

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