U.S. Sought WikiLeaks’ Email

The U.S. government is using a type of secret court order to try to force Google and a small Internet provider named Sonic.net to hand over emails from WikiLeaks’ volunteer Julian Appelbaum, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. Sonic said it fought a “rather expensive” battle to fight the government’s order—and lost. The U.S. government used a rarely used law known as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which dates back to 1986, to secretly obtain information from emails and cellphones without a warrant—despite cries that it's a violation of the Fourth Amendment. The secret order shows part of what U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said last year is part of an “active criminal investigation” into WikiLeaks. Appelbaum, 28, an outspoken advocate for the organization, has not been charged with any crime.