Word: thornburgh
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ATTORNEY General Richard K. Thornburgh has never been known as a hard-liner. Though a Republican, he has been criticized by conservatives as often as by liberals. He is one of the few appointees of President Bush who was a former card-carrying member of the American Civil Liberties Union...
Lately, however, Thornburgh has been keeping a tight-lipped ship at the Justice Department. In August, Thornburgh threatened to prosecute employees who leak information to the press. The penalty would be up to 10 years in jail...
According to Thornburgh, the "thing of value" not only includes tangible documents, but verbal summations. Using this reading, any person leaking information is a thief...
...first, Thornburgh's concern with secrecy seems reasonable. Some issues of national security may not be the business of the press--and some leaks might compromise American interests...
...Thornburgh's policy may also deter politically motivated leaks. The Justice Department faced criticism this summer after an offical leaked to CBS News information about an alleged criminal investigation of Rep. William Gray (D-Penn.). The report made it sound as if Gray were under criminal scrutiny, although the FBI was merely investigating an accountant whom Gray knew casually...