Court Prohibits Subpoenaing Journalists Over Grand Jury Leaks

San Diego, CA (AHN) - A federal judge on Monday ruled against allowing a contractor accused of fraud and money laundering to subpoena reporters and government officials over leaks of confidential grand jury information.

U.S. District Judge Larry Burns rebuked the Justice Department for "slipshod" work in its investigation of the leaks, but said Brent Wilkes could not subpoena 20 witnesses in order to overturn his conviction for bribing former San Diego congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham with lavish gifts such as $4,000 dinners at Las Vegas resorts, $6,600-a-night vacations and mortgage payments in exchange for government defense contracts worth $1.7 million.

Brent Wilkes was convicted on November 5 of 13 charges of conspiracy, money laundering and honest-services fraud, together with co-defendant Kyle "Dusty" Foggo, he former third-highest-ranking official at the Central Intelligence Agency.

In his eight-page ruling, Burns said the leaks "had no material affect on the verdict," although interests were "at least temporarily compromised" by "the irresponsible and illegal actions of one or more government agents who leaked secret grand jury information to news reporters."

According to an Associated Press report, attorneys for the possible witnesses have argued that Wilkes failed to prove that the leaks affected the verdict. Two journalists for NBC News also said that they were protected from the subpoena by California's shield law and the Constitution's First Amendment.

Cunningham is serving an eight-year sentence in a federal prison for the bribery charges.