As long as there are governments, there will be government secrets—and there will also be leakers and whistleblowers. Recent high profile disclosures by Private Chelsea Manning and former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have renewed national discussion of the proper limits of American intelligence authorities and the proper limits of secrecy. They have reinvigorated also the debate over what tools prosecutors and agencies ought to use in identifying and prosecuting those who violate government confidences.
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This week on Chatter, Shane Harris speaks to artist Trevor Paglen, who explores themes of surveillance, security, and secrecy.
Sharing classified information with nonfederal actors has benefits that extend well beyond protecting elections and improving cybersecurity.
The prospect is a nightmare for the intelligence services.
Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia today denied former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s request to dismiss the government lawsuit filed against him regarding the publication of his book, “The Room Where it Happened.”
How the U.S. government regulates its secrets.
Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied the government's motion for a temporary restraining order to block distribution of the new memoir by former national security advisor John Bolton. Though Judge Lamberth ruled that "Bolton’s unilateral conduct raises grave national security concerns," he found that "the horse is out of the barn" regarding Bolton's memoir—which will be published on June 23—and wrote that, "For reasons that hardly need to be stated, the Court will not order a nationwide seizure and destruction of a political memoir."
After suing former national security advisor John Bolton for his alleged breach of nondisclosure agreements related to the publication of his book, "The Room Where it Happens," the Trump administration has filed for a temporary restraining order against the book's release. The application is available here and below.
The government faces many hurdles.
The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against former National Security Advisor John Bolton over the publication of his upcoming book, "The Room Where it Happened," which is currently slated for June 23 and has already been shipped to stores. The government alleges that the book contains classified information and that Bolton has breached nondisclosure agreements with the government to submit to the prepublication review process by going ahead with publication.
Previously unreported data about 61international agreements raise questions about the use of secrecy in U.S. foreign relations.