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MIT Releases Report on Aaron Swartz

MIT has released a 182 page report on its actions in the Aaron Swartz case. The website for the documents is here. The President of MIT describes the report as:

...an independent description of the actual events at MIT and of MIT's decisions in the context of what MIT knew as the events unfolded. The report also sets the record straight by dispelling widely circulated myths. For example, it makes clear that MIT did not “target” Aaron Swartz, we did not seek federal prosecution,
punishment or jail time, and we did not oppose a plea bargain.

MIT says it adopted a policy of neutrality. MIT did not say it was opposed to jail time, only that it wasn't seeking it. It rejected his defense team and family's requests to take a position against the prosecution. [More...]

The report finds MIT was never involved in plea negotiations, and was never asked—by either the prosecution or the defense—to approve or disapprove any plea agreement.

It's neutrality position:

MIT’s neutrality position had two dimensions:

1. With regard to substance, MIT would make no statements, whether in support or in opposition, about the government’s decision to prosecute Aaron Swartz, the government’s decisions about charges in an indictment, or any possible plea bargain stances of the prosecution or the defense.

2. With regard to legal procedure, MIT would treat both federal law enforcement and Aaron Swartz’s defense team similarly for the purpose of providing documents and making employees available for interviews ...MIT took no stand on whether there should be prosecution. Similarly, while MIT was not seeking a felony charge, neither was it opposing one. And MIT took no position on any proposed plea bargains. MIT maintained this neutrality position in its response to requests to make public statements or to intercede with the prosecution on behalf of Aaron Swartz(citations omitted.) In each case, MIT was willing to say that it was not advocating prosecution or jail.

History of Plea Offers

According to the USAO, the earliest plea offer mad