Two Top Jewish Groups Want AIPAC Prosecution Reconsidered

[Purveyor]

Both the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League are urging the Justice Department to reconsider its prosecution former AIPAC staffers Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman -- although there's a little bit of a dispute about who did it first.

The AJC released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying the prosection of Rosen and Weissman for passing on classified information under the 1917 Espionage Act "creates a chilling effect on legitimate speech" and noted that both the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal had editorialized against the prosecution on First Amendment grounds.

Soon after their statement became public, the ADL made public a letter it had sent to the Justice Department last September urging a review of the case -- and said that the AJC had been asked to sign that letter but declined.

AJC spokesperson Ken Bandler responded, "The important thing is we are on the record with the statement we issued today urging the Justice Department to reconsider the case."

The ADL letter said that the "prosecution of this case endangers core First Amendment protections not just for AIPAC, but for the media and anyone who, in the course of their work, discusses with government officials something that a prosecutor later decides was protected national defense information."

Another excerpt:

MORE...

JTA: http://blogs.jta.org/politics/article/2009/03/25/1004003/two-top-jewish-groups-want-aipac-prosecution-reconsidered

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. Legitimate speech?

Since when is espionage considered legitimate speech? :wtf:

Hell, even calling AIPAC, in its current incarnation, "legitimate speech", is a major stretch.

[jody]

2. Since when is espionage considered legitimate speech? When it's for Israel. n/t

[fascisthunter]

3. what a bunch of BS... no shame at all

[Politicalboi]

4. They sound

So Republican. LOL!

[Prattvictory]

5. David Harris should know

Getting a phone call from David Harris complaining about alleged anti-Semitism has the more chilling effect on the First Amendment in the media. Why do you here those ads on the radio from the AJC? They aren't buying media time, they're buying the media.