Washington, D.C. — Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), issued the following statement in response to introducing H.Res. 934, a bipartisan resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that regular journalistic activities are protected under the First Amendment and that the United States ought to drop all charges and attempts to extradite Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks:

“A cornerstone of our republic, the First Amendment to the Constitution protects the freedom of the press.  It helps ensure that journalists have the right to gather and publish information without fear of reprisal from the federal government and is vital for holding those in power accountable while informing the public on important matters.

The case of Julian Assange has brought to light the importance of protecting journalistic activities and the potential consequences of restricting them.  Assange has been unjustly imprisoned for his disclosure of Afghanistan war records and his prosecution has raised significant concerns about the chilling effect on journalistic activities daring to expose government misconduct and the true nature of the United States military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

My bipartisan resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should drop all charges against Julian Assange in accordance with the principles of free speech and a free press. If the U.S. government succeeds in prosecuting Assange for publishing information, it sets a dangerous precedent that could be used to silence other journalists and publishers in the future,” concluded Congressman Gosar.

Background:

Julian Assange in 2011 noted the “goal is to use Afghanistan to wash money out of the tax bases of the US and Europe through Afghanistan and back into the hands of a transnational security elite. The goal is an endless war, not a successful war.” Assange has been imprisoned for his disclosure of Afghanistan war records which promoted public transparency by exposing the hiring of child prostitutes by Defense Department contractors, friendly fire incidents, civilian killings, and more.

Cosponsors: Representatives Jim McGovern (MA-2), Thomas Massie (KY-4), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14), Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), Eric Burlison (MO-7), Jeff Duncan (SC-3), Ilhan Omar (MN-5), and Clay Higgins (LA-3)