Prosecutors drop secret trial demand in AIPAC case

Prosecutors dropped their demands for a secret trial in the classified information case against two former AIPAC staffers. Judge T.S. Ellis III, the federal judge trying the case in Alexandria, Va., last month rejected as unconstitutional the prosecution’s request for a trial before a jury sworn to secrecy. Instead, he ordered the prosecution to submit a proposal for declassifying evidence in the case against Steve Rosen, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s former foreign policy chief, and Keith Weissman, its former Iran analyst. The prosecution had the option of appealing his decision or agreeing to go to trial, but without declassifying any more evidence. Instead, on Thursday, it acceded to Ellis’ order and submitted a new plan for declassifiying evidence. Ellis, prosecutors and defense lawyers will consider the plan next month. Ellis is likely to set a new trial date before the end of June. So far, at least five trial dates have been set and have lapsed for Weissman and Rosen, who were indicted in August 2005. The two men are charged under never-used 1917 statute with receiving and relaying to colleagues, Israeli diplomats and journalists classified information about Iran.