Fergie's Tech Blog

Outrage at the Possibility of Democratic Concessions on Wiretapping

Via EFF DeepLinks.

Should telecom companies like AT&T be given a “get out of jail free” card for their participation in the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program? That’s what Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Ken Wainstein asked for on Tuesday in a House committee. Strangely enough, it appears that Congressional Democrats are seriously considering playing along.

As the New York Times reported in an article on the House committee hearings, “Democratic Congressional aides say they believe that a deal is likely to provide protection for the companies.”

Any deal of this sort is a direct attempt to affect EFF’s case against AT&T — in which we allege that the telecom giant participated in an illegal wiretapping program — as well as other pending lawsuits challenging illegal surveillance. But EFF isn’t the only group outraged by the willingness of Congressional Democrats to buckle at a moment’s notice…

posted by Fergie @ 9/19/2007 06:17:00 PM