Thursday, November 17, 2005

Reporter held in contempt in civil suit

The Washington Post reported today that a federal judge found one of its reporters in contempt of court yesterday for refusing to reveal who gave him information about an investigation of nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee.

U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer ruled that Lee is entitled to know reporter Walter Pincus's sources because his lawsuit against the government for alleged violations of federal privacy law cannot go forward otherwise, and because he has exhausted all other possibilities for getting the information, the report said.

The order carried no jail time, but the judge imposed a fine of $500 a day until Pincus agrees to testify. The judge suspended the fine for at least 30 days to allow time for Pincus to appeal.

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