Category «Civil Liberties»

Calls for Investigation into Pentagon Domestic Surveillance Have Generated Response

After a series of Congressional calls for hearings and investigations into the administration’s controversial post 9/11 domestic surveillance program, news today from several sources confirming that probes have indeed been launched, and hearings scheduled. Questions remain as to when, and if, the conclusions will be made public. Additionally, ABC News reports that former NSA “insider” …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research, Privacy

Opposition to Domestic Surveillance Grows Within Legal Community

CDT: “Fourteen of the nation’s leading experts on constitutional law today issued an analysis concluding that “the Justice Department’s defense of what it concedes was secret and warrantless electronic surveillance of persons within the United States fails to identify any plausible legal authority for such surveillance. Accordingly the program appears on its face to violate …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Privacy

Transcript of Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing for Confirmation of Samuel Alito

Washington Post: U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Judge Samuel Alito’s Nomination to the Supreme Court, Part I of II, Courtesy FDCH e-Media, Monday, January 9, 2006; 12:59 PM. Read below the opening statements of the first thirteen senators’ opening statements. The final statements, and Judge Alito’s opening statement, can be found in Part II …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Government Documents, Legal Research, Privacy

A Legal Analysis of the NSA Warrantless Surveillance Program

A Legal Analysis of the NSA Warrantless Surveillance Program, by Morton H. Halperin, January 6, 2006 Secrecy News: “Halperin, a leading civil libertarian and former Pentagon and State Department official, played an influential role in the enactment of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978, which subjected intelligence surveillance within the United States to …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research, Privacy

Calls For Special House Panel and DOJ Investigations of Domestic Surveillance Program

Press release, January 6, 2006: “U.S. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin today sent a letter to House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert requesting that a special House panel be created “to undertake an immediate investigation and hearings into the President’s purported authority to conduct eavesdropping of U.S. citizens without a court order.” Press release, January 9, 2005: …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Privacy

Senate Hearing on Nomination of Samuel A. Alito , January 9, and 12, 2006

The Senate Committee on the Judiciary has scheduled a hearing on the nomination of Samuel A. Alito, Jr. to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States for Monday, January 9, 2006 at 12:00 p.m. in the Senate Hart Office Building Room 216. Chairman Specter will preside. Media Guidelines for the …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Legal Research, Privacy

CRS Report Evaluates Presidential Authority for Warrantless Surveillance

CRS Report, January 5, 2006: Presidential Authority to Conduct Warrantless Electronic Surveillance to Gather Foreign Intelligence Information (44 pages, PDF) Related references: New York Times, Report Questions Legal Basis for Bush’s Spying Program: “President Bush’s rationale for authorizing eavesdropping on American citizens without warrants rests on questionable legal ground and “may represent an exercise of …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Privacy

FISA Court Wants Answers From White House on Domestic Surveillance

The Washington Post today reported that the FISA Court judges will be briefed by intelligence officials next week on details regarding post 9/11 authorization of domestic wiretapping. In addition, the article states that only the court’s presiding judge was informed about the program prior to the information becoming public in December 2005. Related references: How …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, Government Documents, Legal Research, Privacy

CRS Report on National Security Whistleblowers

From FAS, this link to a new CRS report, National Security Whistleblowers, December 30, 2005 (47 pages, PDF): “To discharge its constitutional duties, Congress depends on information obtained from the executive branch. Domestic and national security information is provided through agency reports and direct communications from department heads, but lawmakers also receive information directly from …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, E-Government, Freedom of Information, Government Documents