Dianne Feinstein, Strong Advocate Of Leak Prosecutions, Demands Immunity For David Petraeus

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Dianne Feinstein, Wall Street Journal, December 7, 2010 ("Prosecute Assange Under the Espionage Act"):

"When WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange released his latest document trove -- more than 250,000 secret State Department cables -- he intentionally harmed the U.S. government. The release of these documents damages our national interests and puts innocent lives at risk. He should be vigorously prosecuted for espionage.

"The law Mr. Assange continues to violate is the Espionage Act of 1917. That law makes it a felony for an unauthorized person to possess or transmit 'information relating to the national defense which information the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation.'

"The Espionage Act also makes it a felony to fail to return such materials to the U.S. government. Importantly, the courts have held that 'information relating to the national defense' applies to both classified and unclassified material. Each violation is punishable by up to 10 years in prison."

The Hill, June 10, 2013 ("Feinstein Calls Snowden's NSA Leaks an "Act of Treason"):

"Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Monday said the 29-year-old man who leaked information about two national security programs is guilty of treason. ... 'I don't look at this as being a whistleblower. I think it's an act of treason,' the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee told reporters.

"The California lawmaker went on to say that Snowden had violated his oath to defend the Constitution. 'He violated the oath, he violated the law. It's treason.'"

Ars Technica, November 3, 2013 (Feinstain says "Forget About Clemency for Snowden"):

"If it wasn't already clear that the US government was unhappy with National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden -- and the feds want him extradited, President Obama denounced him -- it is now. Today, the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and her House counterpart, Mike Rogers (R-MI), both emphasized there would be no mercy coming from Washington.

"'He was trusted; he stripped our system; he had an opportunity -- if what he was, was a whistle-blower -- to pick up the phone and call the House Intelligence Committee, the Senate Intelligence Committee, and say I have some information,' Feinstein told CBS' Face The Nation. 'But that didn't happen. He's done this enormous disservice to our country, and I think the answer is no clemency.'"

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