U.S. Treasury: We Can't Blacklist WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's million dollar book deal almost landed him on a U.S. economic blacklist.

/ AP Photo/Alastair Grant

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) was among the many politicians publicly enraged by WikiLeaks documents dump of U.S. diplomatic cables, likening it to a military act of aggression.

King, Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, asked the U.S. Treasury Department to add WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange to its economic blacklist, or sanctions list. Doing so would have given WikiLeaks the same designation as terrorist groups.

On Friday, the Treasury Department said no.

"We do not have evidence at this time as to Julian Assange or Wikileaks meeting criteria under which [Treasury] may designate persons and place them on the" sanctions list, a Treasury representative said in a statement.

Special Section: WikiLeaks

The Treasury administers but doesn't create the criteria for sanctions; that power comes either legislatively or by executive order, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Author Wendy Kaminer describes the Treasury's blacklist in The Atlantic as follows:

"Conducting business, or providing any economic assistance to a blacklisted entity, even unknowingly, no matter how trivial, is a violation of federal law, for which you too may be blacklisted, losing access to all your property and interests in the U.S. Blacklisting is enabled by a network of federal statutes and executive orders, which requires study to begin to understand."

Kaminer says King's request for blacklisting Assange and WikiLeaks came in response to reports of Assange's million-dollar book deal with American publisher Knopf.

[thomasmc1957]

Republicans love to stand before the cameras reading the US Constitution, but when it comes to actually following it, FORGET ABOUT IT!

[ANDROLOMA]

If the politicians aren't doing anything criminal, then they should have nothing to worry about when exposed. That's the excuse they always fed me. So Wikileaks is doing the world a favor, by exposing injustice and war crimes.

I'm glad to see no "troops were put in harm's way," except in the minds of hysterical liars.

[Calendular]

So Congressman King believes that distributing classified United States secrets and damaging our nation's diplomacy and possibly our national security should not result in the perpetrator being able to keep millions of dollars in book sales revenues? The Congressman would instead intercept that money to benefit the damaged U.S. taxpayers, apparently.

Imagine. A U.S. Congressman making a proposal to save taxpayers money. And at a time when federal, state and local government revenues are often in deficit. So of course there must be a problem with that idea somewhere... Although I for one do not see it!

[MelbMan123]

Americans should be applauding Assange as a hero, by exposing the wrongdoing being done by those unnaccountable in their name, that they don't know about.

Would Assange be guilty of any crime if he misused intelligence on WMD in such a way that leads to the death of 4000+ US troops?

[Nosaurus]

Very disappointing of the US Treasury and good on King for making Assange accountable. While he is at it he should investigate Assange's partner in crime, the Guardian.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLI9U6XIuiU

[rwsmith29456]

Wikileaks is dealing in illegally obtained state secrets. You guys that think they are in the right probably play poker with all their cards showing.

[noloyalisti]

I would like to see some stuff about what crime the big banks were doing to us when they decided to destroy the economy. Of course, the right wingers wet dream is to get rid of the middle class and have an oligarchy. They have almost succeeded.

[cbs_bull]

I'm glad to see this decision made by the Treasury Department which means we're a nation still playing by rules. We lost lots of credits in the world by not doing so under Bush/Cheney....

[DamOTclese]

The Obama/Bush regime's Christanic terrorists will murder Mr. Assange eventually. I give Mr. Assange until June to live seeing as how the Christianic terrorists are trying to silence the Democracy work that the Wikileaks volunteer organization is doing.

Terrorists, war crmiinals, and traitors hate the light of exposure, thus we see the Obama/Bush regime trying to stop the teriffic Democratic work that Wikileaks does.

95%+ of the world's citizens support and applaud Wikileaks' work while the mass murderers, terrorist simps, and traitors try to stop the truth that the organization exposes.

[txlakeside]

I support what WikiLeaks did ... but I would never support conspiracy theorist wack jobs such as you!

[Rynedrop]

No where to hide. No where to run. Who can hide from God who knows each and everyone one of us. No one is sinless. Best to forgive so you can be forgiven yourself. Become a good role model for the children.

[Irby32]

"On Friday, the Treasury Department said no."

Good answer! Long live Wikileaks!