A leading (U.S.) reporter on the national security beat, William Gertz of the Washington Times, has been ordered to appear before a federal judge next month to identify the sources for a news article about the prosecution of a Chinese spy ring based in southern California.
Judge Cormac Carney, who sits in Santa Ana, Calif., has subpoenaed Mr. Gertz to testify on June 13 about his sources for a 2006 story in which he described new charges expected to be filed against an engineer who worked for American defense contractors, Chi Mak, as well as several of his relatives. New indictments were filed in the case, largely, but not entirely, as the article predicted.Mr. Gertz did not respond to an e-mail message last night seeking comment.
A law professor who specializes in disputes involving the press said the case could escalate into a major First Amendment showdown with the prospect of jail time or large fines for Mr. Gertz.
"I think it's very unlikely he's going to go in there and say, 'Okay, I'll tell you who it is.' I'm sure he'll go to the mat for it," Jane Kirtley of the University of Minnesota said.
(Thanks, Mungo)