Corbett withdraws Twitter subpoena

[ccharles000]

Facing a raft of criticism from Democrats and civil liberties advocates, Attorney General Tom Corbett has withdrawn his subpoena seeking information about two Twitter users who post fiercely critical missives about him on the micro-blogging service.

The Post-Gazette reports that Corbett, the Republican nominee for governor, called off the subpoena because prosecutors no longer need to know the identities behind the Twitter accounts. It is increasingly believed by prosecutors and political watchers that the holder of at least one account—and author of a blog by the same name CassablancaPA—is Brett Cott, a former legislative aide convicted on three of 42 counts in Corbett’s Harrisburg corruption probe, though Cott’s attorney has said no evidence has been presented to substantiate the claim. The state Attorney General’s office had signaled it wanted the identities to demonstrate that Cott showed no remorse and should get a tougher sentence. But Cott was sentenced to 21 to 60 months in prison on Friday making it a moot point.

A deputy attorney general told the newspaper that Corbett’s office was not looking to violate anyone’s First Amendment rights, reiterating that the subpoena was issued for “legal reasons, allowed by law. They had nothing to do with bloggers or tweets of people.”

The American Civil Liberties Union had planned to represent the two Tweeters targeted by the subpoena, and Twitter itself was fighting the subpoena. The short-lived incidental has emboldened Democrats in their efforts to paint Corbett as using his office for political gain. Dan Onorato, the party’s gubernatorial nominee, offered up his most pointed criticism of Corbett in a statement Friday.

http://www.pa2010.com/2010/05/corbett-withdraws-twitter-subpoena/