Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday reversed a long-standing Department of Justice (DOJ) policy by formally banning federal prosecutors from seizing the records of journalists in most leak investigations.
The policy change addresses the issue first brought up by Garland in June when he said the DOJ would stop the practice of seizing reporters’ records in leak investigations. The goal of the change is to resolve the issue of prosecutors trying to balance the government’s obligation to protect classified information and the media’s First Amendment rights.
