Senate Democrat Unveils New Shield Law to Protect Journalists’ Records
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Monday unveiled a bill that aims to protect journalists’ data from government subpoenas, in the wake of the news that the Justice Department during the Trump administration worked to obtain records of lawmakers and journalists. “The Trump Administration spied on reporters it suspected of no crimes in its hunt to identify […]
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Monday unveiled a bill that aims to protect journalists’ data from government subpoenas, in the wake of the news that the Justice Department during the Trump administration worked to obtain records of lawmakers and journalists. “The Trump Administration spied on reporters it suspected of no crimes in its hunt to identify their sources and prevent the American people from learning the truth about Trump’s lawlessness and corruption," Wyden said in a statement in introducing the bill, called the Protect Reporters from Excessive State Suppression (PRESS) Act (pdf). "President Biden and Attorney General Garland have pledged to end these surveillance abuses, but the new policies can be reversed by future administrations,” the Senate Democrat added. It comes after news emerged, as first reported by The New York Times on June 10, that prosecutors in the DOJ under the Trump administration had issued subpoenas to Apple in 2017 ...
