“Attorney General Pam Bondi fired a warning shot at the free press last Friday,” according to the Editorial Board of the Washington Post.
They are concerned with the removal of a Justice Department regulation, which limited the government's ability to see the phone or email records of journalists.
Bondi replaced this guideline with ones they call “most chilling.”
This is because Bondi is allowing investigators to go after members of the media who obtain “privileged and other sensitive information,” not just classified material, “that undermine President [Donald] Trump’s policies.”
The regulations Bondi removed were put in place by Attorney General Garland.
Additionally, the House of Representatives voted unanimously to codify the regulation, which was known as the Press Act (Protect Reporters and Exploitative State Spying Act) last year.
But Trump called on Senate Republicans to kill the bill after his election.
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“The effort had bipartisan support because both parties have an interest in exposing wrongdoing inside government, especially when they are in the opposition,” according to the Post.
“A lasting stain on Obama’s presidential legacy is his administration’s ruthless pursuit of journalists’ records,” the Post wrote.
“Including seizing Associated Press phone records in 2013 and conducting electronic surveillance of a Fox News journalist. The Obama administration also brought more leak prosecutions than all previous administrations combined.”
Bondi’s memo focused on federal employees who “intentionally” leak sensitive information to the media.
The outlet noted Bondi’s promise that her department will limit subpoenas and claims she must personally “approve efforts to question or arrest members of the news media.”
“Importantly, obtaining a subpoena for records will also continue to require showing a judge that there is probable cause to think a crime has been committed,” the Post said.
“Leaking negative information about the government is not necessarily against the law.
The Board made it clear, their newspaper “routinely relies on confidential sources to bring readers important stories.”
Later adding that keeping “sources’ identities confidential will always be a top priority — under Trump, and every president who follows him.”
