Defending Rights & Dissent

The State Department’s “Cuba Report” revives Cold War conspiracy theories for the modern era, and signals yet another escalation in the administration’s long and growing war on dissent

Learn more at rightsanddissent.org

The subpoenas of BreakThrough News, the The People's Forum, and Tricontinental are a blatant pretext to intimidate dissenting activist groups and media outlets, part of the Trump administration’s growing new McCarthyism

Our Policy Director Chip Gibbons breaks it down

Help us stop Congress from dramatically expanding the already cozy relationship between the U.S. and Israeli military.

Go to rightsanddissent.org/NDAA2026 to write your lawmakers today

55 years ago, the Times began publishing the Pentagon Papers, exposing the U.S. government’s lies about the war in Vietnam.

For his courageous actions disclosing the Papers, Dan Ellsberg faced 115 years in prison on Espionage Act charges.

Dan’s son Robert on the fight for reform.

Learn more at rightsanddissent.org

June was Espionage Act History Month

For the last 30 days, we’ve shown how the Act’s been used to punish whistleblowers, journalists, & dissidents for opposing war & exposing secrets.

We’re also urging support for a major new reform bill.

Nathan Fuller recaps the campaign. Learn more at rightsanddissent.org

The Espionage Act is a direct threat to the freedom of the press. It’s been used to punish sources, intimidate reporters, and to infringe on your right to know.

Journalist Kevin Gosztola explains the urgent need for Espionage Act reform.

Learn more at rightsanddissent.org

The Daniel Ellsberg Press Freedom and Whistleblower Protection Act will put an end to the abusive history of the draconian Espionage Act, which has been used for a century to silence dissent

Our Policy Director Chip Gibbons outlines a new bill from Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib to reform it

Learn more at rightsanddissent.org

The Espionage Act’s name makes it sound like a legitimate means of protecting the country’s secrets. But its language is broad and vague enough to allow the government to criminalize huge swaths of speech that should be permissible.

Our Board member Emily Berman breaks it down, for Espionage Act History Month.

Learn more at rightsanddissent.org

June is Espionage Act History Month!

Rainey Reitman joins Defending Rights & Dissent’s campaign to highlight the ways the Espionage Act has been used to silence whistleblowers, dissenters, and journalists for over a century, and how we can reform it.

Learn more at rightsanddissent.org