Justice Dept Deleted Language About Press Freedom

In updating its manual for U.S. attorneys, which provides guidance for prosecutors and other federal lawyers, the Trump Justice Department eliminated entirely a section titled “Need for Free Press and Public Trial,” which had been “included in versions of the manual at least as far back as 1988,” BuzzFeed News reports.

“The changes include new sections that underscore Sessions’ focus on religious liberty and the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on government leaks — there is new language admonishing prosecutors not to share classified information and directing them to report contacts with the media.”