Tag Archives | Wiretapping

Judge Favors Constitution on NSA Wiretaps

Not a common thing these days, but a Federal judge ruled against the federal government on NSA wiretaps. From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON – A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the National Security Agency’s program of surveillance without warrants was illegal, rejecting the Obama administration’s effort to keep shrouded in secrecy one of the most disputed counterterrorism policies of former President George W. Bush….

The ruling by Judge Walker, the chief judge of the Federal District Court in San Francisco, rejected the Justice Department’s claim – first asserted by the Bush administration and continued under President Obama – that the charity’s lawsuit should be dismissed without a ruling on the merits because allowing it to go forward could reveal state secrets….

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Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old

What was once depicted as a grave act of lawlessness — Bush’s NSA program — is now deemed a vital state secret. The Obama administration, happy to hold on to the power that the Bush administration handed to it, is now saying “toss the wiretap lawsuit.” Why? Because it threatens to expose ongoing government intelligence activities.

Seriously. From the AP report:

Attorney General Eric Holder says a lawsuit in San Francisco over warrantless wiretapping threatens to expose ongoing intelligence work and must be thrown out.

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