This one in my mind stretches the ethical boundaries. In this case a former FBI agent arrested for leaking info to the AP about a new type of underwear bomb. Active intel, if you believe the feds... Here is the catch, he was caught because the AP phone and email records were tapped...remember our friends at the NSA love the FBI. No to add to this conundrum, the former agent arrested was being investigated for child porn. So the guy was caught because of NSA surveillance for leaking info that could be useful if you want help from the pubic...but then the source of the leaks likes little kids and is a sicko... Any winners in this ??? It kind of reminds me of a Jewish lawyer being asked to defend a Nazi in court. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162...king-information-of-upgraded-underwear-bombs/
You defend him for the leaking, and in particular defend the whole AP phone records debacle, while throwing him under the bus for the kiddy porn. Not much of an ethical dilemma imo.
IF the FBI framed him with kiddy porn (which is plausible), or he just happened to be on a bit torrent file share site where Barrett Brown was once again proved correct, it is the perfect way to kill activist support in the public eye. If you defend the guy, critiques will say you are defending a kiddy porn perv... on the other hand if you don't defend him him for the leak, critiques will frame the non-action by saying you are inconsistent in your own beliefs and discredit From a PR standpoint its almost perfect for the FBI to have the story buried fast.
Exactly ... it is a perfect FBI storm....no one will criticize or defend....it just goes away. What also goes away is the important subject of the FBI and NSA obtaining journalist communications... Now think of this from Associated Press' perspective....their reporters had their communications monitored but if they fight that, they get painted as defending a perv. Some thought needs to go into how to combat this type of issue as far as protestor response. We all know what part of this story is right and what part is wrong, but none of that matters in a press who only reports on extremes without any thought to life is not black or white, it is gray. If this is left unchecked, painting other leakers in the future will be easier for the FBI. I think this whole situation allows a precedent for the FBI to knock down future resistance to spying programs. At least this is how I see it.
