Hi Friends,

The Espionage Act has been used and abused to punish whistleblowers, journalists, and publishers, prosecuting them as if they were traitorous enemies, but denying them the right to put forward the defense that they were exposing, rather than committing, a crime.

We've seen indictments of Thomas Drake, Chelsea Manning, Jeffrey Sterling, John Kiriakou, Edward Snowden, Reality Winner, Julian Assange, Terry Albury, and Daniel Hale, not for trying to harm the United States but for trying to protect the United States from abuses within its government.

We need whistleblowers protected and rewarded. We need members of the press left free to exercise their First Amendment rights. We need the Constitutional right to defend oneself in court protected.

Click here to email your representative and senators to pass the Daniel Ellsberg Press Freedom and Whistleblower Protection Act.

This bill, just introduced by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, would amend the Espionage Act by limiting its use to appropriate government employees, by requiring that there have been intent to injure the United States, by allowing the accused to testify as to the purpose of their actions, and by establishing as an effective defense the purpose of disclosing crimes, gross mismanagement, abuse of authority, or a danger to public safety.

RootsAction Whistleblower Advocate Jeffrey Sterling has this to say:

"As a whistleblower who has been persecuted for daring to stand up, it gives me great pride that a member of Congress, Rashida Tlaib has introduced a bill designed to reform the 1917 Espionage Act. I am particularly thrilled to see that it honors a man who has meant so very much to whistleblowing and whistleblowers and truth in this country.

"Congresswoman Tlaib has introduced the Daniel Ellsberg Press Freedom and Whistleblower Protection Act. The bill is designed to reform the Espionage Act by limiting its scope and guaranteeing protections for journalists, publishers, and members of the general public in order to stop the persecution and criminalization of political dissent, free speech, and the actions of whistleblowers who expose government wrongdoing.

"It is tremendously hopeful that a member of Congress has seen the need for change and is taking action for the good of whistleblowers and First Amendment freedoms. I think Mr. Ellsberg would be proud."

Email Congress now.

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In Solidarity,
The RootsAction Team

RootsAction.org