Judiciary panel to take up Espionage Act, legal options against WikiLeaks

[Avalux]

12/12/10 03:50 PM ET

Lawmakers may be getting anxious to wrap up business before the holiday recess, but the House Judiciary panel is pulling the full committee together Thursday to delve into options to tackle the WikiLeaks scandal.

The Department of Justice and Attorney General Eric Holder are faced with difficult legal questions as they decide the best course of action for pursuing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange even as the drumbeat for Assange to be charged under the Espionage Act grows louder on Capitol Hill.

The Judiciary Committee will be looking at the World War I-era Espionage Act and the "legal and constitutional issues raised by WikiLeaks," as directed by Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.).

Incoming Judiciary Chairman Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) also vowed to conduct hearings when he takes the gavel in the new Congress.

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/133199-justice-department-weighs-charges-against-wikileaks

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Constitutional issues? I am not sure what those would be. Get ready for a bunch of bullshit.

[EFerrari]

1. PSA: No reg required to comment at this site. n/t

[HereSince1628]

2. The R's planned hearings until hell freezes over anyway.

They can have all the hearings they want, but they CANNOT produce a bill of attainder against Assange, and they cannot pass a law that will be enforced Ex Post Facto.

If they are dumb enough, Congress could produce a Letter of Mark that would enable the US to seize property of a foreign nation, but that would effectively be an act of war, something we are much more likely to do to Somali pirates than government internet providers. I don't believe that Congress has declared war in my 59 years of life.

[lib2DaBone]

3. What if.... What if... This whole WikiLeaks thing was foisted on us by the CIA?

Why? For the purpose of passing the ESPIONAGE ACT.

Think about it.. the Patriot Act... now the Espionage Act. WHO BENEFITS?

Sorry.. too much Tin Foil.. but something about this Wikileaks thing just doesnt add up...