Senators Demand DOJ Release Secret Spy Court Rulings

Mike · Mar 16, 2012

What good is law when we don't know what it is & how it is interpreted?

Wired / ThreatLevel: Senators Demand DOJ Release Secret Spy Court Rulings

Wired / ThreatLevel said:

A secret tribunal known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court has issued classified rulings about the Patriot Act that U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colorado) say expand the government’s surveillance powers even more.

At issue, the lawmakers said, is section 215 of the Patriot Act. The sweeping power, one of the most controversial in the law, allows the secret FISA court to authorize broad warrants for most any type of record, including those held by banks, internet companies, libraries and doctors.

...

But the government has no plans to declassify and publicize the opinions and the interpretations of them.

It appears that the court itself is just a rubber-stamp for the government:

Wired / ThreatLevel said:

Meanwhile, the secret court approved all 1,506 government requests to electronically monitor suspected “agents” of a foreign power or terrorists on U.S. soil in 2010, according to the latest Justice Department report released under the Freedom of Information Act.

There is no accountability.

Background:

Wired / DangerRoom: There’s a Secret Patriot Act, Senator Says

Wired / DangerRoom said:

You think you understand how the Patriot Act allows the government to spy on its citizens. Sen. Ron Wyden says it’s worse than you know.

Congress is set to reauthorize three controversial provisions of the surveillance law as early as Thursday. Wyden (D-Oregon) says that powers they grant the government on their face, the government applies a far broader legal interpretation — an interpretation that the government has conveniently classified, so it cannot be publicly assessed or challenged. But one prominent Patriot-watcher asserts that the secret interpretation empowers the government to deploy ”dragnets” for massive amounts of information on private citizens; the government portrays its data-collection efforts much differently.

Lisa Simeone · Mar 17, 2012

I remember sending this out to my mailing list back when I first learned about it. Didn't make a dent.

At this point I just send stuff out to annoy them. I know they don't give a shit.

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Senators Demand DOJ Release Secret Spy Court Rulings

Mike Coach

Lisa Simeone Original Member

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Senators Demand DOJ Release Secret Spy Court Rulings

Mike Coach

Lisa Simeone Original Member

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