Posted on 09/30/2003 10:19:45 PM PDT by prisoner6
By SAM HANANEL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) - A reporter for the military's Stars and Stripes newspaper does not have to reveal the government sources who leaked information about Linda Tripp's application for a new job with the Defense Department, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said the writer, Sandra Jontz, can invoke the reporter's privilege to shield her from revealing confidential information in court, despite the fact that the newspaper is owned and controlled by the Defense Department.
Tripp, whose secret tapes of conversations with Monica Lewinsky helped lead to President Clinton's impeachment trial, sued the Pentagon in January 2001, alleging officials there illegally leaked to Stars and Stripes that she was interviewing for a job at the George Marshall Center in Germany.
The Jan. 23, 2001, European edition of Stars and Stripes carried a front-page story disclosing that Tripp was one of four candidates being considered for the new post. Tripp had been fired from her political position at the Pentagon just days before and the new job would have paid less, the newspaper reported.
Tripp claimed she was humiliated by publication of the fact that she was looking for a job below her grade level and alleged that the Defense Department violated her privacy by releasing the information to Jontz. Tripp did not get the job.
Her lawsuit is seeking unspecified compensation.
In his opinion, Sullivan said Stars and Stripes has the same First Amendment protections as any other newspaper because it is editorially independent from the government and is often the only source of uncensored information about the military available to service members.
Sullivan also concluded that Tripp had not tried hard enough to get the same information from other Defense Department employees.
Tripp's attorney, David Colapinto, did not return a call seeking comment.
Lucy Dalglish, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said she was pleased that the judge allowed Stars and Stripes to be treated like other newspapers.
"Had it gone the other way, I think that would have sent a terrible message to the members of the armed services" that the newspaper is not truly independent, she said.
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On the Net:
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia:
http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/court-opinions.html
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prisoner6
It could've been even worse for Linda.
Larry Klayman could've been her lawyer.
I was wondering where you were going....but you are correct. Have Larry and not winning must be worse.
prisoner6
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