Judge: Charges against AIPAC officials may be unconstitutional

By The Associated Press

03/25/06 “Haaretz” — – ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal judge on Friday questioned the constitutionality of a law under which two former lobbyists with a pro-Israel group have been charged with receiving and disclosing national defense information.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III said the law, enacted by Congress during World War I, may be unconstitutionally broad and vague, especially given its potential impact on First Amendment rights.

Ellis questioned prosecutors about the law during a pretrial hearing for Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman, two former lobbyists with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, who each face felony trials next month.

Defense lawyers argued that the charges against their clients should be dismissed because of the law’s defects. In particular, they say the law’s prohibition on receiving and disclosing “national defense information,” even information that is unclassified, is far too broad and vague.

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Hat tip to Complier Source: Information Clearing House.)

Of course the Ellis elaboration is frightening. My question is, is it trully new? What was the former practice on possession of Classified information? Wasn’t any such possession criminal already?