US may pass new law to prosecute Assange 12 Dec 2010 Anger at Julian Assange continues to consume much of Washington this weekend, and a first formal hearing on Capitol Hill over options for prosecuting him could come as early as next week. ...Some US politicians are introducing draft legislation to expand existing US laws to make it easier for Eric Holder, the US Attorney General, to do his job. The so-called Securing Human Intelligence and Enforcing Lawful Dissemination (Shield) Bill was thus introduced by Congressman Peter King, a Republican from New York who will become chairman of the House Intelligence Committee when the new House of Representatives with a Republican majority convenes in January.