Nation IN BRIEF : OREGON : Packwood Takes the Fifth in Diary Battle

Sen. Bob Packwood (R-Ore.) cited a Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination in responding to the Senate Ethics Committee’s lawsuit to compel him to release his diaries. It was the first time that Packwood, who has previously relied on Fourth Amendment privacy protections, has argued that he should not be compelled to produce the diaries because they could be used against him in a criminal prosecution. Packwood’s arguments were filed in U.S. District Court. The Ethics Committee is investigating allegations that Packwood made unwanted sexual advances to 26 women over two decades.