There is serious talk about charging Assange under the Espionage Act for the release of the diplomatic cables.
We can recall only a single such prosecution of a journalist under the Espionage Act in 95 years.
The center would investigate infringement of the Economic Espionage Act designed to protect trade secrets, as well as traditional copyright and trademark violations.
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Convincing a judge in Sweden, which has one of the world's most liberal press-freedom laws, of the virtues of America's Espionage Act may be tricky.
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The crime in question would be violating the Espionage Act, the 1917 law that would most likely be the basis for any prosecution of Assange.
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The Obama administration has used the Espionage Act, which was passed in 1917, to target suspected leakers in six cases, twice the number undertaken by all previous administrations combined.
Drake pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of exceeding his authorized use of an agency computer after authorities dropped the most serious charges -- including some under the Espionage Act -- against him.
At the same time, we have benefitted from laws that have strengthened our crime-fighting abilities, including the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, Anti-Terrorism laws, the Economic Espionage Act, and the Health Care Fraud Statute.
Al Halabi was charged with 11 counts of failing to obey a lawful general order or regulation, three counts of aiding the enemy, four counts of espionage, nine counts of making a false statement and five counts that include violations of the Federal Espionage Act.
But it is darkly humorous to see people who react to one instance of leaking classified information with outraged screeds about the need to apply the espionage act react to another instance of leaking classified information by proceeding to use that same information to argue on behalf of their preferred policy.
The grand jury that has convened in Alexandria, Virginia to decide whether Assange will be indicted in the U.S. has yet to make public any charges against him, but some have speculated on and called for his indictment under the same Espionage Act once used to prosecute Daniel Ellsberg for leaking the Pentagon Papers.
U.S. officials draw a distinction between cyber espionage and cyberattacks, which have a destructive or manipulative purpose and could be considered an act of war.
They are accused of conspiracy to act as unlawful agents of a foreign government, a crime less serious than espionage but which carries up to five years in prison.
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