Jeff Sessions To Destroy Free Press To Catch Leakers

DONALD TRUMP'S ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH A NUMBER
OF LEAKS, SOME COMING FROM WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS, SOME FROM
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, AND THE MEDIA CONTINUES TO REPORT ON
THESE LEAKS TO THE DETRIMENT OF TRUMP AND MEMBERS OF HIS
ADMINISTRATION.
AS A RESULT, JEFF SESSIONS HAS DECIDED TO
TAKE MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS, AND THE DOJ IS MOURNING THE
MEDIA THAT IT COULD BE SUBPOENAED IF IT EITHER AIRS OR
WRITES ABOUT INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN DISCLOSED THROUGH THESE
LEAKS --
I
HAVE MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU, BUT FIRST LET'S HEAR FROM
JEFF SESSIONS HIMSELF, WHO GAVE A PRESS CONFERENCE ON THIS
MATTER.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE DOING IS REVIEWING POLICIES AFFECTING
MEDIA SUBPOENAS.
WE RESPECT THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT THE PRESS
PLAYS AND WILL GIVE THEM RESPECT, BUT IT IS NOT
UNLIMITED.
THEY CANNOT PLACE LIVES AT RISK WITH IMPUNITY.
WE
MUST BALANCE THE PRESS'S ROLE WITH PROTECTING OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY AND THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO SERVE IN THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY, THE ARMED FORCES, AND ALL LAW-ABIDING AMERICANS.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE DETAIL INTO WHAT THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT IS PLANNING TO DO --
THEY ARE GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT THESE LEAKS.
SESSIONS
MENTIONED THAT HE RESPECTS FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND THAT
IT'S GOING TO BE A DELICATE BALANCE, BUT I'M SKEPTICAL
IN TERMS OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL RELEASE TRIKE THE
RIGHT BALANCE.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS HERE.
NUMBER ONE, THIS IS A
DIRECT ATTACK ON THE PRESS.
IF THERE ARE LEAKS AND THE LEAKERS
ARE ENGAGING IN SOME SORT OF BAD BEHAVIOR AND YOU WANT TO GO
AFTER THE LEAKERS, THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE AND I'M LARGELY
OKAY WITH THAT AS THEY SORT THAT OUT.
BUT WHEN YOU GO AFTER THE
PRESS AND SUBPOENA THE PRESS AND MAKE THE PRESS DISCLOSE THEIR
SOURCES AND ALL THAT, THAT'S A DIRECT ATTACK, IT HAS A MASSIVE
CHILLING EFFECT ON THE PRESS AND THE MEDIA.
IF THE PRESS IS
RECEIVING INFORMATION FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES AND THE PRESS
HOPEFULLY IS RESPONSIBLE AND THEY DON'T PUBLISH INFORMATION
-- FOR EXAMPLE THEY WOULDN'T SAY OUR MILITARY IS HIDING IN THIS
LOCATION AND THEY WILL ATTACK THE TERRORISTS TOMORROW AT 6 PM
-- OBVIOUSLY THE PRESS SHOULDN'T DO THAT.
BUT IT IS THE PRESS'S
RIGHT TO ADJUDICATE WHAT IS BEING PRINTED OR SHOWN ON AIR,
SO FOR THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO GO AFTER THE PRESS IS AN ATTACK
ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
AND OF COURSE FROM THE RIGHT WE SEE THIS ARGUMENT THAT THOSE
ON THE LEFT ARE ATTACKING FIRST AMENDED RIGHTS AND FREE SPEECH
-- WELL, INCLUDED IN FREE SPEECH IS A FREE PRESS.
AND CORRECT ME
IF I'M WRONG, I DON'T REMEMBER ANY PUBLICATION WRITING ABOUT
ANY LEAK THAT PUTS ANYONE'S LIFE IN JEOPARDY.
AND THAT KIND OF
FEAR MONGERING IS WHAT I'M HEARING FROM JEFF SESSIONS.
AND IF YOU CARE ABOUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND THE FIRST
AMENDMENT, THIS IS WHERE IT STARTS.
IF SOME PRIVATE
INSTITUTION OR UNIVERSITY SAYS YOU CAN'T SAY CERTAIN WORDS HERE
OR WE DON'T WANT TO LET PEOPLE SPEAK HERE, YES, THAT'S AN
INFRINGEMENT ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT BUT THAT IS SECONDARY
OR TERTIARY TO THE GOVERNMENT PROHIBITING THE PRESS FROM
DISCLOSING CERTAIN THINGS THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING.
THE WHOLE
POINT OF THE PRESS IS TO HAVE A FUNCTIONAL DEMOCRACY AND TO BE
WATCHDOGS AGAINST POWER AND CORRUPTION, SO IF THE
GOVERNMENT, THE POWERFUL, NOW HAS THE POWER TO DESTROY THAT
INSTITUTION, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE A FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY.
IF YOU
CARE ONE BIT ABOUT IT, YOU SHOULD CARE MORE ABOUT JEFF
SESSIONS GOING AFTER THE PRESS THAN SOME LIBERAL SNOWFLAKES
SOMEPLACE THAT ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE A SAVE SPACE.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT -- DIDN'T HE SAY HE'S JUST GOING TO
ENFORCE THE FULL LETTER OF THE LAW?
OR DID HE SAY THEY WILL DO
EXTRA THINGS?
BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE, YOU ARE RIGHT, IF YOU GO
AFTER THE LEAKER THAT IS ONE THING, BUT THAT THEY THREATEN
THE PRESS?
I KNOW HE DID KIND OF SEMI-THREATEN THE PRESS, HE
DIDN'T TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AND HE LEFT THE ROOM -- BUT IS THERE
ANYTHING THAT EXPLICITLY THREATENS THE PRESS?
THEY ARE GOING TO REVISIT THE POTENTIAL OF SUBPOENAING
JOURNALISTS.
YOU SUBPOENA A JOURNALIST FOR ONE OF THESE
INVESTIGATIONS, WHAT WILL HAPPEN?
THEY ARE GOING TO BE
PRESSURED TO IDENTIFY WHO THEIR SOURCES ARE. AND JOURNALISTS
DON'T DO THAT, JOURNALISTS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DISCLOSE THEIR
SOURCES, AND THERE HAVE BEEN JOURNALISTS IN THE PAST WHO HAVE
FACED PROSECUTORIAL PROCEEDINGS AS A RESULT OF THAT, SOME HAVE
EVEN BEEN THROWN IN JAIL IN THE PAST BECAUSE THEY REFUSED TO
KNOW WHO THEIR SOURCES ARE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ARE PLANNING
ON REALLY GOING AFTER JOURNALISTS IN THAT WAY, BUT I
THINK THAT WOULD HAVE A CHILLING EFFECT ON FREEDOM OF THE PRESS.
AND LOOK, SO FAR, AGAIN, MAYBE I'M WRONG, AND IF I'M WRONG
PLEASE CORRECT ME, SEND ME A TWEET, LET ME KNOW -- THE
INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED BY THESE JOURNALISTS
HAS NOT PUT ANYONE'S LIFE IN DANGER.
THEY HAVE BEEN
INCREDIBLY EMBARRASSING TO THE PRESIDENT -- THE LATEST LEAK
INDICATES THAT THE PRESIDENT SAID TO THE PRESIDENT OF MEXICO,
THIS WALL IS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, THAT IS
EMBARRASSING BECAUSE YOU LIED TO YOUR BASE, WHO VOTED FOR YOU.
SOMETHING THAT'S EMBARRASSING IS NOT THE SAME AS SOMETHING THAT
PUTS ANYONE'S LIFE IN JEOPARDY OR THREATENS NATIONAL SECURITY.
THEY ALWAYS SAY THAT, IT THREATENS SOMEONE'S LIFE.
THEY
SAID IT WITH CHELSEA MANNING -- EVEN JUST THE OTHER DAY, SOMEONE
FROM THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TWEETED OUT THAT LIVES WERE AT
RISK.
THAT'S JUST A SMEAR FOR CHELSEA MANNING.
THEY KEEP
SAYING THAT.
THIS CRACKDOWN ON THE PRESS I THINK IS KIND OF
BIPARTISAN, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE UPSET ABOUT THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION USING THE ESPIONAGE ACT TO PROSECUTE SIX
JOURNALISTS, WHICH WAS A RECORD.
SO YEAH, TRUMP -- BECAUSE THEY
CAN'T STOP THE LEAKS FROM THEIR OWN WHITE HOUSE, THEY WILL
THREATEN THE PRESS.
IT IS WEIRD THOUGH, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT
THIS, THAT IT SAID THAT THE FULL TRANSCRIPTS OF HIS PHONE CALLS
WITH FOREIGN LEADERS WERE LEAKED TO THE WASHINGTON POST?
I MISSED
THAT STORY, I DON'T KNOW HOW I DID.
THAT'S WHAT ANA WAS REFERRING TO.
ABOUT THE WALL?
I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
WE CAN'T HAVE FOREIGN LEADERS
THINKING THAT THEY CAN'T SPEAK OPENLY WITH OUR PRESIDENT
BECAUSE THAT GETS LEAKED.
IF YOU WANT TO GO AFTER THOSE LEAKERS
THAT IS FINE, BUT I HAVE A BIGGER PROBLEM WITH JEFF
SESSIONS BASICALLY TAKING THE POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH,
CO-OPTING THE JUDICIARY, BECAUSE SUBPOENA POWER IS THE POWER OF
THE COURT, YOU HAVE TO COMPLY WITH IT OTHERWISE YOU ARE IN
CONTEMPT OF COURT AND YOU COULD GO TO JAIL -- CO-OPTING THE
COURTS TO COMPEL JOURNALISTS TO COMPLY WITH THE DICTATES OF THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
THAT'S WHERE IT GETS REALLY PROBLEMATIC.
AND
THIS IS A TRICKY SLEIGHT-OF-HAND THEY DO -- YOU TALK ABOUT
NATIONAL SECURITY, LIVES BEING AT STAKE, BUT THEN THEY WERE GO
AFTER "SENSITIVE" INFORMATION?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
IT MAKES
SOMEONE LOOK BAD, OR IS THIS SOME SORT OF LIFE-THREATENING
ISSUE THAT IMPACTS NATIONAL SECURITY?
THEY SAY WE WILL DO IT
FOR NATIONAL SECURITY BUT THEN THEY GO AFTER YOU FOR SENSITIVE
INFORMATION.
IT'S TRICKY, AND IF YOU CARE ABOUT THE FIRST
AMENDMENT YOU SHOULD BE SUPER VIGILANT ABOUT ANY ENCROACHMENT
TO THE RIGHTS OF JOURNALISTS.
BUT JIMMY IS CORRECT, THIS IS A
BIPARTISAN EFFORT.
IT LOOKS UGLIER WITH TRUMP BECAUSE HE
DOES EVERYTHING OVER THE TOP, BUT OBAMA DID A SIMILAR THING.
SINCE THE SECOND BUSH YEARS, AND MAYBE BEFORE, THERE HAS BEEN A
CONSOLIDATION OF POWER BY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, THEY ARE
BECOMING STRONGER AND STRONGER, IT'S PART OF THE BUSH DOCTRINE,
AND CHENEY AND ALL OF HIS LAWYERS OVER THERE, THEY'VE
EMPOWERED THE EXECUTIVE TO CRAZY LEVELS WERE IT WAS NEVER
INTENDED TO BE THIS WAY.
IT THROWS OFF WE ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE WITH A BALANCE OF POWER
IN OUR COUNTRY.
YOU ARE RIGHT, IT IS SKEWED NOW.
BUT I THINK
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS, LOOK, THERE IS A CERTAIN CULTURE
IN THIS WHITE HOUSE, AND I LOVE SCARAMUCCI'S QUOTE OF, THE FISH
ROTS FROM THE HEAD DOWN.
YOU ARE RIGHT, IT DOES.
WE ARE SEEING
MORE LEAKS IN THIS ADMINISTRATION THAN EVER BEFORE
AND THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT, A CERTAIN TYPE OF CULTURE IS BEING
PERPETUATED BY OUR PRESIDENT.
SO YES, GO AFTER THE LEAKERS, DO AN
INVESTIGATION, THAT'S FINE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY TRY TO
UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS THERE ARE SO MANY MORE LEAKS HAPPENING
WITHIN YOUR ADMINISTRATION.
IT'S FLAT OUT POOR LEADERSHIP, HE SURROUNDS HIMSELF WITH
YES-MEN AND SYCOPHANTS WHO HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER EXCEPT
FLATTERY.
THEY ARE INSECURE AND BACKSTABBING EACH OTHER LIKE
CRAZY, YOU SAW IT FIRSTHAND WITH SCARAMUCCI, BANNON, REINCE
PRIEBUS, SPICER, HUCKABEE SANDERS -- IT'S CHAOS OVER
THERE.
THE OTHER PROBLEM WITH WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS THIS --
THE FIRST GRAPHIC THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW THEY ARE TRIPLING THE
NUMBER OF INVESTIGATIONS, STARTING A WHOLE UNIT, THESE ARE
RESOURCES.
I THOUGHT WE CARED ABOUT TERRORISM, ABOUT SEX
TRAFFICKING, ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER ISSUES, WHITE-COLLAR CRIME
-- ALL OF THAT IS NOW ON THE BACK BURNER BECAUSE ABOVE AND
BEYOND ANYTHING ELSE THIS ADMINISTRATION CARES ABOUT ITS
OWN SELF-IMAGE AND PERPETUATING ITS OWN POWER SO THEY SPEND ALL
THEIR RESOURCES GOING AFTER LEAKERS INSTEAD OF THESE OTHER
MATTERS THAT ARE OSTENSIBLY -- OR EVEN ACTUALLY -- A BIGGER
THREAT TO THE WELL-BEING OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

Jeff Sessions To Destroy Free Press To Catch Leakers

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