Judge Orders The Secret Service to Release Their File on Aaron Swartz

[markpkessinger]

[font size=4]Judge Orders The Secret Service to Release Their File on Aaron Swartz[/font]
[font size=2 color="gray"]Abby Ohlheiser[/font]

We might be about to learn a lot more about the Secret Service investigation into Aaron Swartz, the political and internet activist who committed suicide earlier this year. That's because a federal judge, in response to a FOIA lawsuit, has ordered the Department of Homeland Security (the parent organization of the Secret Service) to start releasing thousands of pages of documents, ASAP.

That request comes from Wired's Kevin Poulsen, who sought documents relating to the Secret Service's 2011 investigation into the activist's downloading of JSTOR articles in bulk. Those downloads were central to the mounting legal troubles the Swartz faced just before his death, after Massachusetts Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Heymann refused to offer Swartz a plea deal without jail time. Here's what Poulsen says about the request:

That criminal case was formally dismissed after Swartz’s death. Yet in February, the Secret Service denied in full my request for any files it held on Swartz, citing a FOIA exemption that covers sensitive law enforcement records that are part of an ongoing proceeding. Other requestors reported receiving the same response.

After enlisting the help of FOIA litigator David Sobel, who helped him file suit, it looks like Poulsen may get even more than what he asked for. It turns out that the government has "several thousand" additional pages of documents related to Sobel's request than they initially thought. Of course, the last-minute revelation allowed the U.S. to request even more time in delivering them, indicating that the new trove may also help to drag out the process even further. On the other hand, Judge Kollar-Kotelly's order requires the immediate release of all documents already processed by the government, and sets a deadline for their release timetable for August 5.

[SamKnause]

1. Files

They will be heavily redacted to ensure everyone's 'safety'.

[BehindTheCurtain76]

8. Aaron was a saint

And our government is full of liars and thieves.

[Waiting For Everyman]

2. This young man was extraordinary.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/01/aaron-swartz/


On "Aaron's Law" (to revise the CFAA)
http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/06/aarons-law-is-finally-here/

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57577520-38/aarons-law-rewrite-backfires-reformers-now-on-defensive

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/06/aarons-law-introduced-now-time-reform-cfaa


I had not heard about this -- thank you for posting this OP.

[sabrina 1]

12. He was an extraordinary person. And it's tragic that he was driven to suicide.

Thanks for the links.

[DeSwiss]

3. "Every government is run by liars and nothing they say should be believed." ~I.F. Stone n/t

[ReRe]

5. That's right...

First day's lesson in journalism school: GOVERNMENTS LIE.

[silvershadow]

4. Does this include all that NSA may have? Or just the normal, heavily redacted files of the

government of yore?

[ReRe]

6. "May get more than he (Poulsen) asked for."

K&R

I wouldn't count on it. The redacted part is always the biggest face slap. Really, folks. Can we believe ANYTHING the government says anymore? Thanks so much for this OP.

[Catherina]

7. Aaron Swartz- NSA: 'Spying on More Than They Can Handle'

Published on Jun 19, 2012

The House Judiciary Committee approved a reauthorization of the FISA Amendments Act, which gives the government broad powers to spy on the communications of Americans as long as one of the parties is reasonably believed to be outside the U.S. Just yesterday, Senator's Ron Wyden and Mark Udall received a response from the NSA, whom they had asked for a number of how many persons inside the U.S. have been spied on by the NSA. Well NSA said they can't say because it would violate your privacy. Aaron Swartz, Executive Director of Demand Progress discusses


Rec'd

[markpkessinger]

11. Thanks for sharing this! n/t

[Wilms]

9. ^

[blackspade]

10. I'm interested in what this will turn up....