On the eve of the anniversary of Aaron Swartz's tragic death, a group of eight lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are still looking for answers regarding the criminal investigation he was the subject of.
Swartz committed suicide in his Brooklyn apartment exactly one year ago on Saturday. At the time of his death, he was awaiting trial for downloading millions of academic documents from an online database, using a laptop connected to the MIT network.
See also: SecureDrop: Aaron Swartz's Platform for Whistleblowers Rebooted
The Justice Department had charged him with computer fraud, computer damage, wire fraud, and unauthorized access — charges that could have amounted to 35 years in prison and $1 million in fines, though prosecutors said they would not have asked for a maximum sentence.
One year later, the eight legislators — three Senators and five Representatives — want U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to finally answer some questions.
"In March, you testified that Mr. Swartz's case was a good use of 'prosecutorial discretion,'" they wrote in the letter, which is embedded below. "We respectfully disagree."

For them, Swartz was facing an "aggressive prosecution," and, so far, the Justice Department has failed to justify it — despite the fact that this letter is not the first one to demand more explanations.
Last year, John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Al Franken (D-Minn.) sent another letter to Holder, but the response they got "has not been satisfactory" and is inconsistent with findings highlighted in the MIT report into its role in the Swartz case, they wrote.
That's why they still want more answers.
"One year ago, we sought the basis for the U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz's determination that her office's conduct was 'appropriate.' We have received no such information," the lawmakers wrote in the letter.
The eight lawmakers who signed Friday’s letter are Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), and Representatives Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.).
Lawmakers Aaron Swartz Letter to DOJ

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Image: Flickr, docsearls