Obama's Administration Continues Its Record of Criminal Cases Against "Leakers"

Just as Obama promised, he's giving us "an unprecedented level of openness in government" by adding to his unprecedented record of criminal charges against government officials who decide to be more open than his administration likes. From the New York Times:

The Justice Department on Monday charged a former Central Intelligence Agency officer with disclosing classified information to journalists about the capture and brutal interrogationof a suspected member of Al Qaeda, Abu Zubaydah — adding another chapter to the Obama administration's crackdown on leaks….

And so many chapters there are! An "unprecedented" number of them:

Mr. Kiriakou, who was released on a $250,000 bond after appearing in federal court in Alexandria, Va., on Monday, was a leader of the team that captured Abu Zubaydah, and he came to public attention in late 2007 when he gave an interview to ABC News portraying the suffocation technique called waterboarding as torture, but calling it necessary. (It later emerged that he significantly understated the C.I.A.'s use of the technique.) His lawyer did not return a call for comment on Monday.

The prosecution of Mr. Kiriakou is the sixth criminal case brought under President Obama against current or former government officials accused of providing classified information to the media, more such cases than all previous presidents combined. The crackdown, long sought by the C.I.A. and other agencies, has won the administration some credit with security officials angered by the president's earlier decision to release classified legal opinions on the agency's interrogation program…..

Mr. Obama entered office pledging unprecedented transparency for government operations, and his record has drawn fire from civil libertarians and groups supporting whistle-blowers and press freedoms.

Mr. Obama's word is not worth much. From our February issue, more from Jacob Sullum on Obama's lies of openness.