ACLU helping guard Twitter posters' IDs in Pa.

[The Straight Story]

ACLU helping guard Twitter posters' IDs in Pa.


HARRISBURG, Pa. — An American Civil Liberties Union lawyer said Thursday his organization is helping two anonymous Twitter users fight an effort by prosecutors to unmask them after they tweeted criticism of a Pennsylvania attorney general who is running for governor.

ACLU attorney Vic Walczak said he will ask a judge to throw out a subpoena seeking the identities of the two Twitter users, "bfbarbie" and "CasablancaPA," if an agreement with Attorney General Tom Corbett's office can't be worked out.

Walczak said the subpoena by a statewide investigative grand jury is an unconstitutional retaliation that violates First Amendment free-speech protections.

"It's a prized American right to criticize government officials, and to do so anonymously," Walczak said.

A Corbett spokesman said the subpoena was partly related to a Friday sentencing hearing for former Democratic legislative aide Brett Cott. He is one of three people convicted in March of public corruption charges in the ongoing investigation into the alleged illegal use of legislative employees and government resources to run political campaigns.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jl5hlHw3foVWVBKAXL5SV984z9AwD9FQOA300