Tell Adam Schiff: Stop your attacks on journalists
Petition to Rep. Adam Smith:
We demand you immediately withdraw your amendment to the Intelligence Identities Protection Act that criminalizes the disclosure of the identify of anyone who has or ever had a classified relationship to an intelligence agency. It would subject national security reporters in particular to a heightened fear of criminal liability for disclosure of classified information, even when it is squarely in the public interest, such as revelations of agency wrongdoing. This undermines journalism and freedom of the press. Withdraw it now!
There's an urgent new threat to journalists coming from Washington, D.C. -- and this time it's coming from your Democratic member of Congress.
Rep. Adam Schiff chairs the House Intelligence Committee, and he just included language requested by the CIA in his committee's Intelligence Authorization bill that undermines press freedom and government oversight. The vote on the House floor could happen in the next 24 hours, and we don't have a lot of time to stop him and protect journalists. Can you help?
Tell Rep. Schiff to protect journalists and withdraw his anti-press amendment.
Here are the details:
Section 305 of the Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 3494) expands the Intelligence Identities Protection Act to criminalize the disclosure of the identify of anyone who has or ever had a classified relationship to an intelligence agency. The current law is far more limited and applies, for instance, only to covert agents who served abroad in the last 5 years.1
As the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press pointed out, "This would subject national security reporters in particular to a heightened fear of criminal liability for disclosure of classified information, even when it is squarely in the public interest, such as revelations of agency wrongdoing."2
Demand Progress joined a coalition of 30 civil society organizations to write a letter to Schiff explaining amendment this would also impede congressional oversight and allow the executive branch at will to change whether someone qualifies as a "covert agent."3
Schiff's expansion of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act beyond all reason will effectively muzzle reporting on torture, mass surveillance, and other crimes against the American people -- all at the request of the CIA. Schiff is clearly the resistance to the resistance, and he should drop this provision from his bill.
Contact Adam Schiff right now and tell him: Stop this attack on journalism and freedom of the press!
Sources:
1. Text of H.R. 3494, accessed July 15, 2019.
2. Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press, "RCFP, coalitions oppose CIA's effort to undermine press freedom, government oversight," July 11, 2019.
3. Ibid.