Fergie's Tech Blog

Journalism and Espionage - NSA Whistleblower Subpoenaed

Ryan Singel writes on 27B Stroke 6:

The Justice Department issued a federal grand jury subpoena Wednesday to a former National Security Agency intelligence agent who has publicly confirmed he was one of the sources for the New York Times' expose of the NSA's warrantless wiretapping program.

Russell Tice, who has tried unsuccessfully to brief Congress members who sit on the Intelligence committee members on what he considered to be illegal NSA programs, was served with the subpoena on Wednesday.

According to the subpoena, Tice is being asked to testify about possible disclosures of classified information that is detrimental to the security of the United States, specifically violations of the Espionage Act.

While the subpoena is mostly vague as to the scope of the grand jury's investigation, it is likely connected to a Department of Justice investigation of the New York Times story from December, which revealed that the government was began a widespread warrantless eavesdropping of American's overseas communications shortly after 9/11.

posted by Fergie @ 7/28/2006 12:11:00 PM