Article I, Section 6 of the United States Constitution provides that "for any Speech or Debate in either House, [a Senator or Representative] shall not be questioned in any other Place", thus the Senator could not be prosecuted for anything said on the Senate floor, and, by extension, for anything entered to the Congressional Record, allowing the Papers to be publicly read without threat of a treason trial and conviction. This was confirmed by the Supreme Court in the decision Gravel v. United States. - Wikipedia article on the Pentagon Papers
Via E.B. Misfit
1 comment:
I bet Ted Kennedy LOOOOVED that! ALSO, just about every other member of our Senate and House! BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE : D
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