The Department of Justice has quietly dropped its long investigation of a former department lawyer who acknowledged leaking information to The New York Times about the once-top secret warrantless wiretapping program conducted by the administration of President George W. Bush.
The decision not to prosecute Thomas Tamm, reported by Josh Gerstein on Politico, apparently brings a low-key end to an episode that was headline news in the latter days of the Bush administration, with some people questioning the patriotism of the leaker or leakers and Times reporters and editors and others asserting that the eavesdropping went beyond legal limits.
Former Public Integrity section chief William Welch handled the leak investigation.
Bush personally exerted pressure on The Times not to publish its report, asserting that to do so might endanger American lines. The newspaper did publish its report in late 2005 and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize.
Gerstein said the DOJ would not discuss the state of the inquiry, but that Tamm and his lawyer, Paul Kemp, were informed “seven or eight months ago” that the case was being dropped.
