PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Anyone who works for the U.S. and, because of that job, gets or has access to an official diplomatic code or messages written in such a code, or to messages being sent between a foreign government and its U.S. embassy, and who knowingly shares them without permission, can be fined under the law, imprisoned for up to ten years, or both.

Title 18, §952

Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever, by virtue of his employment by the United States, obtains from another or has or has had custody of or access to, any official diplomatic code or any matter prepared in any such code, or which purports to have been prepared in any such code, and without authorization or competent authority, willfully publishes or furnishes to another any such code or matter, or any matter which was obtained while in the process of transmission between any foreign government and its diplomatic mission in the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on section 135 of title 22, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Foreign Relations and Intercourse (June 10, 1933, ch. 57, 48 Stat. 122). Minor changes of phraseology were made.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $10,000”.

§952 Diplomatic Codes and Correspondence