WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed issued the following statement in response to reports that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) collected telephone records from reporters and editors at the Associated Press in the spring of 2012, as part of a criminal investigation:

“This is a very serious matter.  America is a nation of laws.  It is against the law to leak information because it can jeopardize American lives.  Likewise, the Constitution sets a strong standard for freedom of the press because the truth is essential to a functioning democracy.  That is why it is crucial to get the facts here because the American people and the press deserve nothing less.”