The Massachusetts Institute of Technology says an internal review of its actions in the investigation of free-information activist Aaron Swartz had found no wrongdoing on the school's part.
The 26-year-old hanged himself in January as he faced federal prosecution for surreptitiously using MIT's network to download millions of articles from a scholarly archive with the goal of making information free. He was facing decades behind bars.
Prosecutors said they offered a deal of four to six months in prison. MIT says the investigation raises concerns about policies and procedures, but says the school didn't target Swartz, seek his prosecution or oppose a plea. MIT President L. Rafael Reif says the school's decisions were "made in good faith."
Swartz's girlfriend, Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, calls MIT's report a "whitewash" and said its behavior was "reprehensible."
