Bowling Green Today

Recently, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and 15 other bipartisan Members of Congress have come together to send a letter to President Biden, urging him to end the extradition request against Australian publisher Julian Assange and put an end to all prosecutorial proceedings against him. The goal of this letter is to protect and uphold the principles of free speech and freedom of the press.

In the letter, the Members emphasize the importance of journalists seeking out sources and documentary evidence in order to inform the public about government activities. They argue that the United States should not pursue a prosecution that risks criminalizing common journalistic practices, which could have a chilling effect on the work of the free press. The Members urge President Biden to ensure a timely resolution to the case.

The letter was signed by Dr. Rand Paul, along with Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA-02), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY-04), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO-07), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07), Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT-02), Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX-35), Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO-01), Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16), Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL-04), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14).

This bipartisan effort highlights the concern over the potential consequences of prosecuting Julian Assange and the need to protect the principles of a free press. The letter emphasizes the duty of journalists to report on government activities and the risks of criminalizing their essential work.

The full text of the letter can be found on Senator Rand Paul's website.

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For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-joins-bipartisan-letter-urging-the-u-s-to-end-prosecution-of-julian-assange/