Dept. of Justice bashed for compromising civil liberties

Support for the Patriot Act was expressed by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) at the American Civil Liberties Union conference. Specter said that though he supports the Patriot Act, a clearer separation of law enforcement and constitutional rights is necessary to protect Americans’ civil liberties. Specter said the Department of Justice must work harder to ensure that the right to an attorney and presumption of innocence are not compromised. Specter also said that congressional and judicial oversight of executive decisions has been insufficient and that a checks and balance system is crucial to prevent the government from gaining the immunity it wants when controversial policies are challenged.

James Risen, a New York Times reporter that co-authored a piece revealing government wire-tapping programs, said that American reporters being jailed for refusing to reveal sources is a negative reflection on the United States. According to Risen, these measures justify the actions of leaders in countries like China and Zimbabwe, two states in which New York Times reporters have been arrested previously.

Toni Lacy, a USA Today reporter held in contempt for refusing to reveal the sources of an anthrax report, also spoke at the conference. Lacy emphatically said that the American public has a right to know the details of government action during the anthrax scare. Lacy said if reporters are subpoenaed for unnecessary “fishing expeditions” by law enforcement agencies, media outlets will be “destroyed out of fear,” halting coverage of on-going events. Lacy closed her speech by saying that a confidential source is not synonymous with being a traitor.