Ex-Attorney General Calls for Porn Commission

MARINA DEL RAY, Calif. — Edward Meese, former Attorney General under Ronald Reagan, helped organize the U.S Government’s first in-depth study into pornography back in 1985. Twenty years, later he’s calling for another study to assess porn’s imminent “dangers.”

According to Meese, who was interviewed by the public affairs program Full Disclosure Network on Dec. 24, the original “Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography” worked for more than a year to produce an exhaustive study on the effects of sexual content in the 1980s.

It’s findings, according to Meese, were anything but sexy.

“The Commission showed three things,” Meese said. “First, it provided a much more extensive analysis of the harm of pornography than ever before. Secondly, it revealed the close relationship between pornography and organized crime. And third, it revealed the pervasiveness of porn in our society.”

During the interview, which was conducted by Emmy Award winning host Leslie Dutton, Meese said it was time for the government to conduct another study of pornography, one that would take into account the power of the Internet.

“We need a commission or some other body to do a comprehensive look at Internet pornography in the same way the commission looked at it as it was then being distributed [in the 1980s],” Meese said.

Such a study, according to Meese, would point out the harm perpetuated by “special interest groups” in this country who support pornography.

“Today you have special interest groups like librarians who seem to be opposed to having protections for children in libraries,” Meese said, adding that without new restrictions libraries could “become the principal ways in which Internet porn is distributed.”

Meese called for a new comprehensive look at pornography.

“We need to have a commission or some similar body make recommendations for legislation and regulations that would protect children primarily and also prevent illegal porn, both adult and child, from being widely distributed, particularly through public sources.”

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

UK House of Commons Moves to Tone Down Porn Amendments

The House of Commons has modified amendments to the U.K.’s pending Crime and Policing Bill, including provisions regulating “step” content, content featuring adults role-playing as minors, and performers’ ability to withdraw consent.

Final IRS 'No Tax on Tips' Rule Excludes Pornography

The Internal Revenue Service on Monday published final regulations on the “No Tax on Tips” provision included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” offering new tax deductions for tip workers but excluding revenue received for “pornographic activity.”

Pennsylvania Legislature Weighs 'Porn Tax' Bill

The Pennsylvania State Senate is considering a bill that would impose a 10% tax on the revenue of adult websites doing business in that state.

Trump Tariffs Refund Process to Launch April 20

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin the process of refunding duties paid under the Trump administration’s sweeping program of tariffs by providing, starting April 20, an online tool for submitting refund claims.

UK Government May Limit 'Step' Porn Ban With New Amendments

The U.K. Ministry of Justice on Friday revealed new government amendments to the pending Crime and Policing Bill, potentially limiting a planned ban on “step” content to apply only if adult performers role-play as minors.

Arizona Senate Removes 'Catch-22' Provision From Consent Bill

The Arizona State Senate has amended a bill that would impose new requirements for adult content uploaded online, removing a seemingly contradictory provision that could have effectively made it impossible for adult sites to operate in the state.

Italian Court in Aylo Case Limits International Reach of AV Rules

An Italian administrative court has ruled that Italy’s recently-enacted age verification rules for adult content may not currently be enforced against sites based in other EU member states, pending further procedural action under the EU’s Directive on Electronic Commerce.

OCC, FDIC Prohibit Use of 'Reputation Risk' by Regulators

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on Tuesday issued a final rule codifying the elimination of "reputation risk" as a criterion in their supervision of financial institutions.

Wisconsin Governor Vetoes Age Verification Bill

Gov. Tony Evers on Friday vetoed AB 105, an age verification bill that would have allowed anyone to sue adult content providers for damages over alleged failure to age-verify users in Wisconsin, with penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

FSC Releases Statement on Wisconsin Governor Vetoing AV Bill

The Free Speech Coalition has released a statement on Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ veto of the state’s age-verification legislation.

Show More