IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1175 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that newsgathering 
activities are protected under the First Amendment, and that the United 
States should drop all charges against and attempts to extradite Julian 
Assange. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 2, 2020 
Ms. GABBARD (for herself and Mr. MASSIE) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
newsgathering activities are protected under the First 
Amendment, and that the United States should drop 
all charges against and attempts to extradite Julian 
Assange. 
Whereas the freedom of news organizations to acquire and 
publish information is protected under the First Amend-
ment to the Constitution; 
Whereas, in 2010, Wikileaks disclosed a cache of hundreds of 
thousands of Department of State cables, Guantanamo 
Bay detainee assessments, and United States military re-
ports related to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; 
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•HRES 1175 IH 
Whereas the disclosure of United States military documents 
exposed war crimes against civilians in the Middle East; 
Whereas, in 2013, the Department of Justice declined to pur-
sue charges against Julian Assange for publishing classi-
fied documents due to what Justice officials described as 
a ‘‘New York Times problem’’ which would cause the 
prosecution of other news organizations and journalists 
who have published classified material; 
Whereas, on June 19, 2014, human rights and press freedom 
organizations sent a letter to then-Attorney General Eric 
Holder urging him to close all criminal investigations into 
Wikileaks and Julian Assange due to concerns that ‘‘ac-
tions against Wikileaks undermine the commitment of 
the U.S. Government to freedom of speech’’; 
Whereas, on April 11, 2019, the London Metropolitan Police 
Service arrested Julian Assange for outstanding war-
rants, including a provisional warrant at the request of 
the United States Government; 
Whereas the Department of Justice unsealed a March 2018 
indictment against Julian Assange for violation of the 
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act; 
Whereas, on May 23, 2019, a Federal grand jury issued a 
superseding indictment adding 17 charges against Julian 
Assange for violation of the Espionage Act; 
Whereas, on June 10, 2019, the United States Government 
submitted a formal request to the United Kingdom for 
the extradition of Julian Assange; 
Whereas United States Government prosecutors now claim 
that any journalist or news organization that publishes 
classified material is subject to prosecution under the Es-
pionage Act, which would have led to the indictment of 
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•HRES 1175 IH 
news organizations for the publication of the Pentagon 
Papers; 
Whereas press freedom, human rights, and privacy rights or-
ganizations across five continents sent a letter to the 
Government of the United Kingdom urging the imme-
diate release of Julian Assange; 
Whereas previous administrations have prosecuted whistle-
blowers and other journalistic sources under the Espio-
nage Act for leaking classified information, the current 
Department of Justice has taken the further step of 
going after the publisher; 
Whereas the successful prosecution of Julian Assange under 
the Espionage Act would allow the Federal Government 
to indict any news organization or journalist for pub-
lishing classified information, which occurs on a regular 
basis; and 
Whereas the successful prosecution of Julian Assange under 
the Espionage Act would have a profoundly detrimental 
impact on newsgathering and freedom of the press: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) newsgathering activities, including the pub-
lication of leaked classified information, are pro-
tected under the First Amendment to the Constitu-
tion; 
(2) freedom of the press is a vital function of 
a free society in which government is accountable to 
the people; and 
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