Tapping Trump's Anger About 2016 Surveillance, White House Seeks Overhaul of Spying Law
WASHINGTON—Senior White House officials are discussing plans to pursue an overhaul of how the government surveils individuals in the U.S. suspected of posing a national security risk, spurred in part by President Trump’s grievances about an investigation of an adviser on his 2016 presidential campaign, according to people familiar with the matter.
The effort seeks to take advantage of the looming expiration of some spying powers next month, including portions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a Watergate-era law that Mr. Trump believes was improperly used to target his campaign, these people said.
Overhauling FISA has become a rallying cry for conservatives and allies of the president in the aftermath of a watchdog report detailing several errors made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in its applications for surveillance of Mr. Trump’s campaign adviser, Carter Page. Some Republicans have called for upending FISA, prompting pushback from some in the administration, including Attorney General William Barr.
The plan, which is being spearheaded by officials within the White House Domestic Policy Council, is in the early stages and could face resistance from other parts of the Trump administration, including the National Security Council, which has generally advocated maintaining or expanding surveillance powers during Mr. Trump’s presidency.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/tapping-trumps-anger-about-2016-surveillance-white-house-seeks-overhaul-of-spying-law/ar-BB10ibMl?li=BBnb7Kz
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