Feds Defend Seizure of WikiLeaks Supporter’s Laptop

Wired - The Justice Department on Thursday fired back against a lawsuit filed by a WikiLeaks supporter and friend of accused leaker Bradley Manning over the warrantless seizure of his laptop, arguing that they held onto the machine for a lengthy 49 days only because he refused to provide the password, and because his dual-boot Linux/Windows configuration taxed federal agents’ forensics capabilities.

David Maurice House is one of several Boston-area friends of Manning who were interviewed by federal agents following Manning’s May 2010 arrest. House is also a founding member of the Bradley Manning Support Network, where he sits on the steering committee and does fundraising. He was a frequent visitor of the imprisoned Army private until early March.

The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU of Massachusetts, concerns a November 2010 incident in which House was met by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents as he deplaned at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport after a vacation in Mexico. The agents searched House’s bags, then took him to a detention room and questioned him “for an extended period,” according to the lawsuit.

When House was released, the agents confiscated his laptop computer, a thumb drive and a digital camera. ICE held onto to equipment for 49 days, finally returning it only when the ACLU sent them a strongly worded letter on House’s behalf.     More