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FBI says it will no longer seek Jack Anderson's papers

Associated Press at Editor and Publisher

WASHINGTON The FBI has abandoned its effort to recover government documents leaked to Jack Anderson, a longtime investigative reporter who died in December 2005.

The documents, which some officials said might have contained classified information, were among the late columnist's confidential papers. They touched off a dispute between the FBI and the journalist's family and biographer.

At the heart of the dispute were concerns about government investigations of reporters and whether they might violate constitutional protections of the press.

In blunt answers to a 147-page questionnaire from the Senate Judiciary Committee, dated Nov. 30, Acting Associate Attorney General James H. Clinger said the FBI was not seeking any of Anderson's documents.

"Under which statute do you seek to reclaim the Jack Anderson documents?" asked the committee in its questionnaire, which was recently posted Wednesday on the Web site of the Federation of American Scientists.

Answered Clinger: "The FBI met with the Anderson family in an effort to review the files with their consent. At this time, the FBI is not seeking to reclaim any documents."
Published Thursday, January 04, 2007 11:26 AM by JoelCampbell

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