Feds to toss charges against pro-Israel lobbyists

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Federal prosecutors are moving to dismiss espionage-related charges against two former pro-Israel lobbyists who had been accused of disclosing classified defense information.

The government’s decision to drop the charges ends a tortuous 4-year legal battle in which critics accused the government of seeking to criminalize the sort of back-channel discussions that are commonplace in Washington among government officials, lobbyists and reporters.

Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman had been top lobbyists for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an influential pro-Israel lobbying group.

Acting U.S. Attorney Dana Boente said the government moved to dismiss the charges after concluding that pretrial rulings would make it too difficult for the government to prove its case.