FISA

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Congress Looks Into FBI's Telecom Spying

Pipeline for intercepted data raises red flags

(Newser) - Congressional Democrats are questioning the cozy relationship between the FBI and telecom companies, the Washington Post reports. Thanks to a 1994 law, all telecom firms have “Quantico circuits”—little-known electronic lines straight to the FBI technology office in Virginia. Telecom technicians can instantly send data over those lines,...

AG's 'Invented' 9/11 Claim Is Scare Tactic
AG's 'Invented' 9/11 Claim Is Scare Tactic
OPINION
Apr 3, 2008 3:35 PM CDT

AG's 'Invented' 9/11 Claim Is Scare Tactic

Salon scribe blasts Mukasey claim that law blocked key eavesdrop

(Newser) - Michael Mukasey’s recent claim that surveillance laws barred eavesdropping on a crucial pre-9/11 phone call is either an attempt to scare up support for spying or a revelation of massive US failure, Glenn Greenwald writes in Salon. The 9/11 Commission never mentioned the mysterious phone call—and the executive...

Mukasey Open to Spy Bill Deal
Mukasey Open to Spy Bill Deal
Mar 21, 2008 8:18 PM CDT

Mukasey Open to Spy Bill Deal

AG calls for 'creative' solution to debate on phone company lawsuits

(Newser) - The nation's top lawman welcomed a deal today on a stalled federal spy bill, Reuters reports. “If somebody has some brilliantly creative compromise, I'm happy to hear that,” Attorney General Michael Mukasey said. A recent House bill would allow lawsuits against phone companies that gave records to Washington,...

House Rejects Immunity for Telecoms Again

Lawmakers OK surveillance bill, brush off threat of Bush veto

(Newser) - The House again spurned President Bush today, passing a version of an anti-terrorism surveillance bill that does not grant retroactive immunity to the telecom companies that participated in the government's warrantless-wiretapping program. The vote was 213-197, far less than the two-thirds majority needed to override a promised presidential veto, Reuters...

Bush Urges Congress to Pass Surveillance Bill
Bush Urges Congress
to Pass Surveillance Bill
UPDATED
Feb 28, 2008 9:29 AM CST

Bush Urges Congress to Pass Surveillance Bill

Threat growing as House holds up bill over immunity for telecoms, prez charges

(Newser) - President Bush urged Congress this morning to pass an update to the terrorist surveillance bill that expired more than a week ago, CNN reports. Bush said the delay poses "a risk of opening a gap in our intelligence gathering." The bill stalled in the House over a provision...

Senate Yields to White House on Eavesdropping
Senate Yields to White House on Eavesdropping
UPDATED
Feb 12, 2008 6:41 PM CST

Senate Yields to White House on Eavesdropping

Agrees to widen powers, give phone companies immunity

(Newser) - The Senate passed a bill today to expand the government's wiretapping powers and to grant immunity to phone companies that aided the government in post-9/11 investigations, the Washington Post reports. That translates into a big victory for the White House, notes the New York Times. The bill now goes to...

FBI Wiretaps Hung Up by Late Phone Bills

Bureau admits its accounting system is inadequate

(Newser) - You’re not alone: The FBI apparently has trouble paying its bills on time, too. A Justice Department audit released today shows that, in general, the FBI handled money earmarked for use in undercover operations poorly, and cited instances in which a phone line used to deliver surveillance information to...

Democrats Withdraw Spy Bill
Democrats Withdraw Spy Bill
Dec 18, 2007 3:20 AM CST

Democrats Withdraw Spy Bill

Delay vote that would give phone companies immunity in spy scandal

(Newser) - Legislation that would have granted retroactive immunity for phone companies that cooperated in the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance program was abruptly withdrawn by Senate majority leader Harry Reid late yesterday. The legislation, favored by the White House, had deeply divided Democrats. Reid said the Senate would deal with the...

Court Sides With Bush on Wiretapping

Judges cite national security in rejecting challenge to program

(Newser) - The Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program cleared a big legal hurdle today when a federal appeals court rejected a lawsuit challenging the program on the grounds of national security. The court, considered one of the most liberal in the country,  cited the "state secrets" privilege in its ruling...

Dodd to Block Telecom Immunity
Dodd to Block Telecom Immunity
Oct 19, 2007 6:57 AM CDT

Dodd to Block Telecom Immunity

Vows to keep bill shielding carriers from coming to a vote

(Newser) - Dem presidential hopeful Chris Dodd said yesterday he will place a “hold” on a bill that would grant retroactive immunity to telecom companies who handed over phone records to the feds without warrants. The White House and the Senate Intelligence Committee had made a deal to clear carriers Wednesday,...

Secret Ruling: Fed Wiretap Plan Illegal

Judge halted key overseas eavesdropping months ago

(Newser) - In a secret decision earlier this year a federal intelligence court judge ruled that a key element of the White House's massive wiretapping program was illegal, the Washington Post reports. The decision blocked NSA information collection from a large number of phone calls and emails that pass through two locations...

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