From: Bill Leonard
Date: December 31, 2012, 4:10:23 PM EST
To: John Fitzpatrick
Subject: Re: Complaint

John:

Thanks very much for your reply. While I appreciate the time, effort and consideration you put into this matter, I am nonetheless disappointed in the substance of your reply. Some of my final thoughts on this matter include:

As to your request for my recommendations as to the potential for clearer guidance when the classification status of information is integral to a criminal prosecution, I would recommend requiring coordination with an independent body such as the Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel. In the two cases I referenced above, the fact that the government did not obtain a criminal conviction under the Espionage Act actually bode well for the integrity of the classification system -- otherwise, the perceived wisdom in the reflexive over-classification of information would have been codified in case law.

Finally, I stand ready to share my experiences and observations with the Public Interest Declassification Board and other fora as seen fit.

Thanks again for the reply, John. While I admire the job you do and the challenges you face, I obviously disagree with the content of your reply. Nonetheless, I am appreciative of the courtesy.

Best wishes for the New Year.

jwl