Oscar winner gets to keep Bergdahl interviews Army sought

By BRIAN MELLEY
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A lawyer for an Oscar-winning screenwriter says the U.S. Army dropped its efforts to seize unaired interviews he recorded with Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

Attorney Jean-Paul Jassy said Tuesday that Mark Boal settled a lawsuit that sought to prevent the government from obtaining 25 hours of recordings with the soldier who abandoned his post in Afghanistan in 2009.

Boal had invoked a reporter’s privilege to protect the recordings that formed the basis for the popular podcast “Serial” that focused on Bergdahl’s decision to leave and his five years in captivity.

Jassy says the government won’t subpoena the tapes, but Boal will verify material that aired on the podcast and will drop attorney fee demands.

Government lawyers didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment. A court filing shows the case was dismissed.

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