National Public Radio Executive Rebuffs Questions on News Leaks

National Public Radio refused Tuesday to provide a Senate special counsel with material on Anita Faye Hill’s sexual-harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas that it did not broadcast.

William E. Buzenberg, vice president for news and information at NPR, said the network was protected by the First Amendment’s guarantee of press freedom.

Buzenberg was the third journalist called before Peter E. Fleming Jr., who was hired by the Senate to investigate leaks to the news media.

“The issue here today is, essentially, whether NPR will help the special independent counsel uncover the confidential source or sources involved in our reports,” Buzenberg said in a statement. “That we have not done, and we will not do.

“We believe the First Amendment protects the right of the press to gather news and to find out about the workings of our government.”

Fleming is trying to learn who disclosed the accusations by Hill, a law professor, that Thomas sexually harassed her.

NPR reporter Nina Totenberg and a reporter for Newsday, Timothy Phelps, were the first to disclose the allegations shortly before Thomas was confirmed as a Supreme Court justice. Totenberg will appear before Fleming next Monday and will refuse to name her sources, Buzenberg said.

Fleming has questioned Phelps about how he learned of Hill’s allegations. The reporter refused to cooperate and cited the First Amendment.

In another matter, Fleming has questioned Washington Times reporter Paul Rodriguez about his sources of information on the investigation into five senators who intervened with thrift regulators on behalf of former savings and loan owner Charles H. Keating Jr. Rodriguez also cited the First Amendment in refusing to cooperate.

Buzenberg said that NPR turned over to Fleming the reports that it broadcast last Oct. 6, but he refused to give up any material not broadcast, such as tapes, phone records and other internal documents.

“I consider it a matter of professional and personal conscience as well as a constitutional right not to assist the special independent counsel in identifying the source or sources for our reports,” he said.