FOIA: Department of Justice CCIPS Notes On Aaron Swartz Investigation

[laserhaas]

Source: Fired Dog Lake by Journalist DSWright

In early 2013 I sent a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests out to three government agencies that I knew were investigating the late Aaron Swartz. Swartz committed suicide in January of that year arguably in part due to the harassment he was facing from state authorities. I was not a personal friend of Swartz just an admirer and, like many who use the internet, a beneficiary of his work. And, more to the point, his case seemed worth exploring as an example of both overreach by careerist prosecutors looking to make a name for themselves and the abuse of the problematic Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).

While there may have been more than three agencies investigating Swartz the three I sent FOIA requests to were the FBI, Secret Service, and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice.

Read more: http://news.firedoglake.com/2015/01/23/foia-department-of-justice-ccips-notes-on-aaron-swartz-investigation/

---

The story links to this video - Dead Men Don't Lie
[br]

[br][hr][br]

We applaud DSWright's efforts and reporting this on FireDogLake.com

[Blue_Tires]

1. I'll still never understand why he didn't just fight such a flimsy case in court...

Even bad attorneys could have chiseled that down to a slap on the wrist or outright acquittal...

[billhicks76]

2. Because the Feds win 95-98% of their cases

And in this case we should call it murder.

[laserhaas]

3. Concur!

Big Gov.... destroys well funded people .... who are anti-Big Gov

[AngryAmish]

4. And they have guns.