Trump is attacking and suing journalists who publish things he doesn’t like, dismantling government watchdog programs and agencies that protect whistleblowers, and firing and prosecuting people who expose his abuses.

He’s weaponizing the Espionage Act, which has been used for years to silence dissent and undermine government transparency.

So Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib introduced legislation to reform the Espionage Act, which would prevent its abuse against whistleblowers, journalists, and the American public for exposing government corruption and wrongdoing.

The Daniel Ellsberg Press Freedom and Whistleblower Protection Act is named in honor of the late Daniel Ellsberg, the celebrated whistleblower who bravely exposed government lies about the Vietnam War with the Pentagon Papers and faced charges under the Espionage Act.

If passed, this bill would:

• Limit the scope of the Espionage Act to government employees with a legal duty to protect classified information and foreign agents. This would prevent the use of the law against publishers, journalists, or members of the general public.

• Increase due process standards and safeguards for whistleblowers who alert the public to wrongdoing, war crimes, and other abuses of power. It does this by creating an affirmative public interest defense and requiring the government to prove that a defendant acted with the specific intent to harm the United States or benefit a foreign power.

Lauren Harper, the Daniel Ellsberg Chair on Government Secrecy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, said: “Representative Tlaib’s bill finally brings this law [the Espionage Act] in line with essential First Amendment protections, ensuring it can no longer be used as a cudgel against the free press.”

This legislation has been endorsed by a wide range of groups that advocate for our human and constitutional rights, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Amnesty International USA, and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Please add your name today to show your support for Rashida Tlaib’s urgently-needed legislation to protect whistleblowers and defend our rights to free speech and due process.