As a 20-year member of the Writers Guild of America, Jonathan Prince was startled to learn that his union was accusing him of being a scab during the writers strike.
But he was even more stunned when he learned that the guild had been relying on a secret informant, code-named Clyde, who he and his attorney said had gained unauthorized access to his private e-mails.
Prince, executive producer of recent TV dramas "Cane" and "The Cleaner," was among a dozen writers who were investigated for picking up their pens and working -- or failing to report those who did -- during the 100-day writers strike that began in November 2007.
The board of directors for the Writers Guild of America, West, which is charged with weighing cases of writers who ran afoul of union rules, recently "returned findings of guilt" against three writers. Prince was not among them.
Although a panel of writers concluded that Prince had been engaged in writing when he was an executive producer on a TV pilot, they found him not guilty largely because the union itself had told him it was a "gray area" when he asked if he was breaking the rules.
The case points up the charged atmosphere that existed during the writers strike, when the guild vigorously investigated several members accused of flouting the union's prohibition against writing during a walkout.
It also has fueled criticism about how the guild investigates misconduct by one of its own members. Prince's trial committee cited a number of shortcomings in the proceedings, including not supplying his attorney with all the documents they intended to introduce as evidence and the absence of written rules for how hearings should be conducted.
In a separate case, another panel of writers last month blasted the union's handling of an investigation into allegations that former "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno flouted guild rules by continuing to perform his monologue during the strike. The panel recommended that the guild apologize to Leno, saying he had been "done a disservice" and that his reputation had been "harmed by the proceedings." The guild disputed that any apology was called for, and a spokesman for Leno said none was necessary.
Prince remains upset over his treatment, contending he was unfairly targeted by the guild for his opposition to the union's former leadership. Prince was among the leaders of a group of dissident show runners and feature writers labeled by detractors as the "Dirty 30" who challenged the leadership's handling of contract negotiations during the 100-day walkout.
