Nothing But the Truth

Nothing But the Truth Quotes

In Washington, D.C., a female reporter faces a possible jail sentence for outing a CIA agent and refusing to reveal her source.

Alan Burnside: A man can live a good life, be honorable, give to charity, but in the end, the number of people who come to his funeral is generally dependent on the weather.
Alan Burnside: [In front of the Supreme Court] In 1972 in Branzburg v. Hayes this Court ruled against the right of reporters to withhold the names of their sources before a grand jury, and it gave the power to the Government to imprison those reporters who did. It was a 5-4 decision, close. In his dissent in Branzburg, Justice Stewart said, 'As the years pass, power of Government becomes more and more pervasive. Those in power,' he said, 'whatever their politics, want only to perpetuate it, and the people are the victims.' Well, the years have passed, and that power is pervasive. Mrs. Armstrong could have buckled to the demands of the Government; she could've abandoned her promise of confidentiality; she could've simply gone home to her family. But to do so, would mean that no source would ever speak to her again, and no source would ever speak to her newspaper again. And then tomorrow when we lock up journalists from other newspapers we'll make those publications irrelevant as well, and thus we'll make the First Amendment irrelevant. And then how will we know if a President has covered up crimes or if an army officer has condoned torture? We as a nation will no longer be able to hold those in power accountable to those whom they have power over. And what then is the nature of Government when it has no fear of accountability? We should shudder at the thought. Imprisoning journalists? That's for other countries; that's for countries who fear their citizens - not countries that cherish and protect them. Some time ago, I began to feel the personal, human pressure on Rachel Armstrong and I told her that I was there to represent her and not her principle. And it was not until I met her that I realized that with great people there's no difference between principle and the person.
Alan Burnside: Sometimes a mistake is like wearing white after Labour Day, and sometimes a mistake is invading Russia in winter!
Rachel Armstrong: A man leaves his family to go to jail to protect a principle, and they name a holiday after him. A man leaves his children to go fight in a war, and they erect a monument to him. A woman does the same thing, and she's a monster.
[last lines]
Rachel Armstrong: Why was your mom in Venezuela, was she on vacation?
Allison Van Doren: Uh uh, she's working.
Rachel Armstrong: Working?
Allison Van Doren: Uh huh, for the government. But you won't tell anyone it's me who told you, okay?
Rachel Armstrong: You bet.
Erica Van Doren: I know you can't tell me who your source is. I respect that, okay? I know about keeping secrets.
Alan Burnside: Look Ray, if you can sleep at night, you can sleep at night.
Ray Armstrong: She made a choice. Choices have consequences!
Alan Burnside: If you think your wife felt like she had a choice in this, then maybe you two shouldn't be together.
Ray Armstrong: Well, you can tell her or not. That's up to you. Keep up the good work!
Dubois: People are inherently decent, I have found.
Rachel Armstrong: If that were true that would put you out of a job, no?
Timmy Armstrong: You're not supposed to tattle.
Rachel Armstrong: You're not supposed to have to put up with bullies, either.
Dubois: [Telling Armstrong about the consequences of staying silent] You'll be lucky to see your son's graduation!
Rachel Armstrong: [Confronting Erica] I'm writing a story. I work for the National Desk okay, and it's gonna run tomorrow, and it's gonna say among other things that you are a CIA operative and that you went on a mission, a fact-finding mission to Venezuela.
Erica Van Doren: You are an unpatriotic little cunt who's gonna walk right off the plank in the bowels of hell!
Dubois: Now for some reason, you don't reveal your source, you'll be held in contempt. And that means jail time. And we're not talking about some sort of a Martha Stewart cell with a butler nonsense.
Avril Aaronson: Talk to me before you talk to the authorities.
Erica Van Doren: Just tell me this: was it someone close to me? Someone I know?
Rachel Armstrong: Nice suit.
Alan Burnside: That's not a suit. It's a Zegna!
Dubois: Okay, I'll do all the yadda-yadda. Now you were within your rights to print the information that you obtained. However, you are not within your rights to protect who it was that gave Erica up to you, who exposed her. It's a 1982 law called the Intelligence Identities Protection Act. Your source is in a great deal of trouble.
Rachel Armstrong: [Interrupting] I have no intention to...
Dubois: [Overrides her] I'm doing the yadda-yadda, remember?
Ray Armstrong: [staring at his wife's new story] You made the top page!
Dubois: [Approaches Burnside after the court] This is a real honour for me. I studied you growing up, my dad was also a lawyer.
[repeated line]
Dubois: Who was your source?

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