‘Public interest’ in unsealing ZTE case records: Reuters and Dow Jones

The news agencies Reuters and Dow Jones have brought a motion to unseal records in the US case against China’s ZTE Corp arguing that there is ‘a right to access and that secrecy does not serve the public interest.’

In its own reporting, Reuters said, ‘Over the probationary period, almost all hearings and most filings in the case were kept from the public,’ and that the motion to intervene and unseal argues that ‘For approximately five years, the business of this case has been conducted in near-total secrecy. This broad exclusion of the press and public stands in stark contrast to the public’s weighty interest in access.’

It added, ‘A right to access exists under both common law and the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, according to the news outlets, who are represented by the Washington-based Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Both ZTE and U.S. prosecutors have indicated they oppose the motion to unseal, the filing says. A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice declined comment, and the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.’