Pincus Watch

The Wheels of Justice Grind Slow But Fine, and reporter Walter Pincus is still fighting efforts by a court to expose the identity of anonymous sources: Most Sources Refuse To Let Post Writer Testify on Lee, A12:

A Washington Post reporter held in contempt of court last month for refusing to identify anonymous government sources told a federal judge yesterday that all but one of them had declined to waive confidentiality pledges he made.

U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer found Walter Pincus in contempt for refusing to name his government sources as demanded by Wen Ho Lee, the former nuclear weapons scientist who is suing the government for allegedly leaking damaging information about him to the press....

In an affidavit filed with the court yesterday, Pincus said he had contacted his government sources and all had declined to release him from his pledge of confidentiality. Pincus also said he contacted one person "who may or may not be regarded as a government source," and that person had agreed to release him from his promise....