MIT Report Says it Never Targeted Aaron Swartz for Prosecution

Suicide prompted debate over federal overprosecution

In a long-awaited public response to the death of Aaron Swartz, who committed suicide in January after being charged with hacking into MIT computers and illegally downloading millions of academicjournal articles, MIT officials today released an internal review of university actions, saying administrators never "targeted" the 26-year-old Internet activist and committed no wrongdoing.

The report, however, also raises concerns about university policies and whether MIT should have been more actively involved.

In a press release, university officials said the report finds that MIT never sought federal prosecution, punishment or jail time, or opposed a plea bargain with Swartz, whose suicide triggered a national debate over whether prosecutors were overzealous in pursuing charges against the computer prodigy.