FBI has sent 13 reporters letters over Adrian Lamo, from AP

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-fbi-reporters,0,1737716.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines 


FBI Issues Order to Media in Hacker Case

By PETE YOST
Associated Press Writer

October 1, 2003, 6:14 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- The FBI has notified 13 reporters that it might subpoena 
their records regarding a hacker charged with breaking into The New York 
Times' computer system.

A Sept. 19 letter from the FBI directs Associated Press reporter Ted Bridis 
to preserve any documents pertaining to Adrian Lamo, stating that the 
request is in anticipation of an order requiring materials to be turned 
over to federal law enforcement authorities. The FBI said Wednesday that 
similar letters went to 12 other reporters or news organizations, which the 
agency did not identify.

Lamo, 22, has acknowledged hacking computer systems in the past two years, 
including the news pages of Yahoo! Inc., and the public Web site of 
WorldCom. He worked with the companies to fix the security weaknesses.

David Tomlin, assistant general counsel of the AP, called the letters "a 
government effort to turn the news media into criminal investigators." He 
added, "Reporters who are viewed as tools of law enforcement, even against 
their will, can't do the job the Constitution sets out for them. Thoughtful 
prosecutors have generally recognized this and respect the key role that 
independent reporting plays in our system. We hope that's not changing."

...
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