The Feds May Come to Regret Charging Assange with Espionage

The indictment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange under the Espionage Act, announced Thursday, has the potential to trigger a First Amendment brawl the Department of Justice may soon come to regret starting. But if soliciting leakers and helping them submit information is the new standard for Espionage Act prosecutions, then the Associated Press, Forbes, the Guardian, the New York Times, POLITICO, the Washington Post, and other publications that publicize their SecureDrop address to collect whistleblower information must be in trouble, too. In April, law professor Steve Vladeck said he doubted whether Assange—or the New York Times—could win a clear-cut First Amendment victory if charged under the Espionage Act.

Source: www.politico.com