Posted on 02/02/2018 7:05:18 PM PST by son of terrence
WASHINGTON — A federal judge sharply rebuked the National Security Agency in 2011 for repeatedly misleading the court that oversees its surveillance on domestic soil, including a program that is collecting tens of thousands of domestic e-mails and other Internet communications of Americans each year, according to a secret ruling made public on Wednesday.
The 85-page ruling by Judge John D. Bates, then serving as chief judge on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, involved an N.S.A. program that systematically searches the contents of Americans’ international Internet communications, without a warrant, in a hunt for discussions about foreigners who have been targeted for surveillance.
The Justice Department had told Judge Bates that N.S.A. officials had discovered that the program had also been gathering domestic messages for three years. Judge Bates found that the agency had violated the Constitution and declared the problems part of a pattern of misrepresentation by agency officials in submissions to the secret court.
The release of the ruling, the subject of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, was the latest effort by the Obama administration to gain control over revelations about N.S.A. surveillance prompted by leaks by the former agency contractor Edward J. Snowden.
The collection is part of a broader program under a 2008 law that allows warrantless surveillance on domestic networks as long as it is targeted at noncitizens abroad. The purely domestic messages collected in the hunt for discussions about targeted foreigners represent a relatively small percentage of what the ruling said were 250 million communications intercepted each year in that broader program.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
No big deal, c’mon !
Everybody did it? Is this a weak attempt to minimize the fact they attempted to frame, undermine and compromise a candidate and then a President of the United States?
I'll bet it really got going starting Jan 20, 2009.
See, no big deal, Fedzilla has been out of control for a long time......................
Anytime Democrats have been caught doing anything, up to and including selling baby organs or stealing an election, the corrupt media puppets like this NYT asses say “everybody did it.”
The “everyone does it” excuse. Never mind that a SITTING PRESIDENT used the power of government to spy on a CANDIDATE from the other party at the REQUEST of the DEM CANDIDATE.
The point is that even the liberal NYTIMES acknowledged years ago that the government was abusing the FISA process. What they did to Trump is treasonous.
This must be addressed in the most profound manner with clear heads and brought to a swift conclusion. All involved should be held accountable.
This whole thing needs to come to a grinding halt.
Secret Courts have no place in a Free Society.
our founders would be appalled
bttt
It’s been suggested around the beginning of 2011...
We need to use there own words and research against them. Yes, this is beyond the pale and the fact that it’s not the first time doesn’t diminish the crime. Trying to subvert our elections and a sitting President is insane and criminal.
Is this a tacit admission from the NY Times that today’s FISA memo is dead on accurate?
“Secret” court. That’s the problem.
Just read a NYT’s piece that claims that the Republican led committee ‘refused” to allow the release of the Democrats own memo.
If Trump was the Nazi/dictator/Russian Stooge that they claim, lil’ Pinch would be in Gitmo right now and Krugman would be tongue washing Trumps silk boxers.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was introduced on May 18, 1977, by Senator Ted Kennedy and was signed into law by President Carter in 1978.
What the first thing many of us heard about the FISA court? That they almost NEVER turn down a request.
Think about that for a minute.
Here’s a court that decides whether or not it’s OK for the gov’t to spy on its citizens and it almost always says yes?
Are our federal agencies always that persuasive? Or maybe is the FISA process just a meaningless rubber stamp, which is why the FBI felt comfortable taking such liberties and lying in order to get what they needed when that rare event occurred, and they were turned down the first time?
Agreed. Your point is well taken. Let’s get the judges before Congress.
you create a “court” where only the prosecutor is represented, what do you expect to happen?
OF COURSE this was going to be abused - it was absolutely inevitable.
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