A new order by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court sets forth and reviews specific changes in the wake of government wiretapping abuses. The most noteworthy item bars the FBI and Justice Department (DOJ) officials who were involved in the controversial wiretaps from “drafting, verifying, reviewing, or submitting” new wiretap applications while their actions are under […]

Senate and House Republicans appear to be at loggerheads on whether to reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) before or after the controversial law at the heart of the Spygate scandal is reauthorized. Amid frenzied budget negotiations, an obscure provision in the Nov. 18, 2019, measure keeping the government open extended FISA’s expiration at […]

Attorney General William Barr recently took the unprecedented step of requiring any future investigation of a presidential campaign to get approval from him and the director of the FBI. But recent statements from the intelligence agencies suggest that political spying — on members of Congress as well as presidential candidates — may be more widespread […]

In November of 2019 buried deep in the congressional budget Continuing Resolution (CR) was a short-term extension to reauthorize the FISA “business records provision”, the “roving wiretap” provision, the “lone wolf” provision, and the more controversial bulk metadata provisions [Call Detail Records (CDR)], all parts of the Patriot Act. As a result of the FISA […]