◼ Bombshell: Not just Rosen; A livid Megyn Kelly reports more at Fox News targeted by DOJ; Update: Fox statement; Update: Video - Twitchy
◼ Justice Department’s scrutiny of Fox News reporter James Rosen in leak case draws fire - Ann E. Marimow/Washington Post
Journalists, First Amendment watchdogs and government transparency advocates reacted with outrage Monday to the revelation that the Justice Department had investigated the newsgathering activities of a Fox News reporter as a potential crime in a probe of classified leaks.
“It is downright chilling,” Fox News executive Michael Clemente said in a statement. “We will unequivocally defend [Rosen’s] right to operate as a member of what up until now has always been a free press.”
Steven Aftergood, director of the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists, said, “Asking for information has never been deemed a crime.”
...Brit Hume, a senior political analyst on Fox, said on the air Monday that the Justice Department had crossed a “clear bright line” when it seized the records on what he called “the pretext that this activity was criminal.”
“The Obama-Holder Justice Department is now prepared to treat the ordinary newsgathering activities of reporters, trying to seek information from government officials, as a possible crime,” he said. “I can’t think of a case in which that’s happened before.”
◼ DOJ TARGETED FOXNEWS REPORTERS, PRODUCER - Daily Mail
◼ Justice Department targeted TWO Fox News Channel reporters and a producer for talking with government sources◼ Rosen deemed 'co-conspirator' - FOX
◼ Inspector General report found agents read emails, tracked phone records
◼ Reporters James Rosen and William La Jeunesse, producer Mike Levine were the subject of subpoenas but never notified by the government
◼ Fox News says U.S. journalism 'up until now has always been a free press'
◼ An FBI agent swore out an affidavit claiming that Rosen had broken the law, 'at the very least, either as an aider, abetter and/or co-conspirator'
◼ New allegations add fuel to the fire started with a DOJ investigation into the Associated Press
Fox News Channel released a pointed statement from executive vice president of news editorial Michael Clemente.
'We are outraged to learn today that James Rosen was named a criminal co-conspirator for simply doing his job as a reporter,' Clemente said. 'In fact, it is downright chilling.'
'We will unequivocally defend his right to operate as a member of what up until now has always been a free press.'
◼ GOOGLE TURNED OVER PRIVATE E MAILS TO GOVT
◼ Outrageous: Did Justice Department seize phone records of James Rosen’s parents? - Twitchy
Bret Baier just reported that the freakin' DOJ seized the phone records of James Rosen's PARENTS!
— John Nolte(@NolteNC) May 21, 2013
