Justice Department says it will no longer seize journalists’ records

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“Going forward, consistent with the President’s direction, this Department of Justice – in a change to its longstanding practice – will not seek compulsory legal process in leak investigations to obtain source information from members of the news media doing their jobs,” Anthony Coley, Justice Department spokesman, said in a statement.

The Washington Post, The New York Times and CNN – were made aware that their phone records were obtained.

More:USA TODAY fights FBI subpoena demanding records that would identify readers of Florida shooting story

secretly obtained phone records of four journalists during a leak investigation.  

“The Department strongly values a free press, protecting First Amendment values, and is committed to taking all appropriate steps to ensure the independence of journalists,” Coley added.

Contributing: The Associated Press 

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