Thread by @ggreenwald

NEW: Matt Gaetz and the Dangers of Prosecutorial Leaks For Everyone

rumble.com/vqg1c2-matt-ga…

It's been 8 months since the NYT claimed the DOJ was investigating "whether" @MattGaetz committed crimes. He's still not been charged with anything, and thus has no chance to contest the innuendo, yet millions believe he's guilty. That's why prosecutorial leaks are so abusive.

Leave aside what you think about Gaetz or his politics. It's unethical and often even illegal for prosecutors to leak accusations to the media precisely because it destroys people's reputations without having to prove their guilt.

digitalcommons.pace.edu/cgi/viewconten…

Amazingly: the year-long investigative reporting we did in Brazil that freed Lula -- which the left cheered -- focused on this. Prosecutors leaked allegations to media outlets which destroyed their enemies' reputations, then often did not bring charges:

theintercept.com/2019/08/29/del…

After our reporting about prosecutorial abuses began, Brazil's largest paper -- @folha -- apologized for doing what the NYT did here: receiving leaks from prosecutors and trumpeting accusations without knowing if they were true, destroying reputations.

www1.folha.uol.com.br/colunas/flavia…

It's possible Gaetz will be charged tomorrow. It's possible he'll be convicted of everything they've attached to his name. But right now, he's been tried by media mob - for 9 months - with no chance to defend himself. This is why prosecutorial leaks are such an abuse of power.

Obviously, many are reluctant to raise civil liberties and abuse of power concerns in the Gaetz case even though they're glaring. As I know from experience, the second you do, smear artists accuse you of being a pedophile apologist or sex predator. But these principles are vital.

If there's evidence of Matt Gaetz's guilt, charge him with crimes, accord him the due process the Constitution guarantees, and send him to prison if a jury finds him guilty. As of now, the only apparent crimes seem to be from these leaking prosecutors:

rumble.com/vqg1c2-matt-ga…