The U.S. Government won’t get any special insight into Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, a former POW now facing trial for desertion, from Mark Boal that wasn’t already heard during season two of Serial. Boal, whose interviews with Bergdahl formed the backbone of the most recent season of the podcast, has settled his lawsuit with the U.S. Government after military prosecutors threatened to subpoena 25 hours of taped interviews with Bergdahl. Boal had argued that the material in those confidential interviews was protected under the First Amendment. In the settlement, the government will drop its subpoena for Boal’s tapes, while Boal will withdraw a demand for legal fees. “I’m happy that the Army ultimately agreed to uphold the traditions of a free civilian press,” Boal said in a statement, while his lawyer Jean-Paul Jassy noted that Boal’s unedited interviews contained confidential discussions that weren’t ever meant to be public and called his client a “First Amendment hero.” As part of the settlement, Boal is also required to verify the authenticity of any of the material used in the second season of Serial, and if necessary, to release the portions of the tapes heard or summarized on the podcast to the public.
