June 4, 2004: NBC Moves to Quash Fitzgerald Subpoena

Lawyers for NBC move to quash the subpoena issued against NBC bureau chief Tim Russert by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald as part of the Plame Wilson leak investigation (see May 21, 2004). NBC’s lawyers argue that the subpoena violates Russert’s First Amendment rights to protect his journalistic sources, and his “reporter’s privilege” under the Supreme Court ruling Branzburg v. Hayes. [US District Court for the District of Columbia, 6/4/2004 ; US District Court for the District of Columbia, 7/20/2004 ] Judge Thomas Hogan will refuse to quash the subpoena (see August 9, 2004).