Don’t cheer for the Espionage Act being used against Donald Trump. It will backfire | Trevor Timm

Wishing to see Trump called to account need not make us champion a 100-year-old statute used to target whistleblowers

Liberal pundits and Twitter accounts are cheering the investigation into Donald Trump for holding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. What they may not know is that they are also throwing their support behind one of the most pernicious and terrible laws that exists: the Espionage Act. Holding Trump accountable doesn't mean we should all become cheerleaders for the often-abused law primarily used to prosecute whistleblowers and threaten journalists.

Ever since the 100-year old Espionage Act was cited in the warrant for the search of Trump's Florida residence, Twitter and cable news are rife with misinformation about the law and what it means. Those clamoring for Trump to be prosecuted under the act are spreading a ton of misleading statements in the process.

Trevor Timm is executive director of the Freedom of the Press Foundation