Obama DOJ Engages in Massive And Unprecedented Spying on Journalists’ Phone Records

Who could have ever seen this coming?

The Associated Press has reported that the U.S. Department of Justice secretly spied on phone lines used by its journalists and editors and seized them for an unspecified probe. The news agency described the incident as a "massive and unprecedented Intrusion."

The news outlet has said that phone call information of up to 100 of its reporters were seized in a surveillance campaign. The Justice Department reportedly obtained personal telephone numbers and details about sources and stories used by its reporters.

https://www.idigitaltimes.com/articles/17466/20130514/massive-unprecedented-intrusion-associated-press-justice-department.htm

It is funny how all the journalists are outraged that the President they support so strongly are outraged.

For example:

The Newspaper Association of America said the department's "wholesale seizure of confidential telephone records" amounted to "unprecedented" actions that "shock the American conscience and violate the critical freedom of the press protected by the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights."

Read more: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/05/14/Holder-says-he-wasnt-part-of-AP-phone-records-decision/UPI-67741368513000/#ixzz2TMzdpbl7

You mad, bro?

I'm hearing ..............that the DOJ also tapped phone records from the cloak room of  the House of Representatives..that most likely include members of Congress conversations..when they talked to the press/AP.

If true :

Separation of powers issue ?

 Freedom of press issue?

or both ?

Quote Originally Posted by dl36:

looks like the "crew" is getting back together again... isnt that sweet...

1.) bashing

2.) post not to topic.

3.) combative

4.) happy guy emoticon after" sweet "..insinuating members in posts 1/2 are shirtlifters...............

14daroad,

 Lets not forget what the leaks were about that the Obama DOJ were trying to track down ..

One was regarding the president’s “kill list” of terror suspects.., the Stuxnet virus used to foil Iranian nuclear ambitions, and the leaking of classified information about SEAL Team 6 to Hollywood producers ...what do all these leaks have in common ?

They were leaks...  to make President Obama appear to be “tough on terror” leading up to the 2012 election...

Slim,

yes they indeed wanted to pretend Obama basically won the GWOT which is why the lies about the Benghazi attack were so necessary.

Quote Originally Posted by darkhorse12:

Um, is any of what they are doing illegal?

They did have secret subpoenas to probe their recordings ..so it would be legal ..but it looks like this administration is probing the whole country one way or the other..

Not to mention killing a major news agency's newsgathering operations and getting scorces to tell them anything in the future.. Reporters and sources will have to learn to use Wikileaks style communication methods.

I believe  the patriot act which bush pushed made all these acts legal, no? Where were all you right wingers when this happened? I believe maybe a handfull of us questioned that act. Rick, acer , rooster and myself were a few.

Quote Originally Posted by 14daroad:

Remember when Bush was President and you stopped to ask these questions before deeming warrantless wiretapping illegal?

Sorry don't remember you questioning that.

I really don't recall if you protested any of bush's secretive crap. But if you did, my bad.

Actually I did. Which is why I found out, for example, that the Bush AG got hundreds of FISA warrants each year.

The left just screamed that what Bush did was illegal. The same people aren't doing that now, regarding Obama, isn't that funny?

Anyway:

 “Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI), joined by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC), and Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), today introduced legislation to prevent federal agencies from seizing Americans’ telephone records without a court order. H.R. 2014, the Telephone Records Protection Act, requires court approval when the government demands telephone records from service providers. Current law allows the government to subpoena such records unilaterally, without any judicial review. The Department of Justice likely used its administrative subpoena authority to seize the Associated Press’s telephone records in its recent investigation of a CIA leak.”

Patriot Act was passed in 2001........I joined covers in 2006.

But I will say that there are many things about the act that I disagree with. A govt (left, right, center, independent) left unchecked is the end of any democracy.

Not a fan of an unchecked, all too powerful govt dl

I could care less what party is running the show