Shit. Associated Press says U.S. government seized journalists' phone records

[cali]

The Associated Press on Monday said the U.S. government secretly seized telephone records of AP offices and reporters for a two-month period in 2012, describing the acts as a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into news-gathering operations.

AP Chief Executive Gary Pruitt, in a letter posted on the agency's website, said the AP was informed last Friday that the Justice Department gathered records for more than 20 phone lines assigned to the agency and its reporters.

"There can be no possible justification for such an overbroad collection of the telephone communications of The Associated Press and its reporters," Pruitt said in the letter, which was addressed to Attorney General Eric Holder.

An AP story on the records seizure said the government would not say why it sought the records.

<snip>

"There can be no possible justification for such an overbroad collection of the telephone communications of The Associated Press and its reporters," Pruitt said in the letter, which was addressed to Attorney General Eric Holder.

<snip>

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/13/us-usa-justice-ap-idUSBRE94C0ZW20130513

Let the defense of Holder, Obama and the administration commence! Hey, it's our guys doing it, so it's just peachy!

[ProSense]

1. Wait

"Let the defense of Holder, Obama and the administration commence! Hey, it's our guys doing it, so it's just peachy!"

...you're expecting "defense of Holder, Obama," not answers?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022838537

[cali]

3. more

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors secretly obtained records of telephone calls from more than 20 telephone lines belonging to the Associated Press and its journalists over a two-month period in an apparent investigation of a leak of sensitive information about a terrorist plot in Yemen.

The head of the Associated Press lodged a formal complaint Monday with the Department of Justice in Washington, for what he called an “overbroad collection” of telephone records of the wire service’s reporters and editors.

The unusual monitoring of journalists’ communications appeared to be part of a widening government investigation into information released about a foreign terrorist plot last year.

<snip>

Gary B. Pruitt, president and chief executive of the AP, said in a letter to Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. that federal prosecutors under the direction of Washington prosecutor Ronald C. Machen Jr. obtained records covering a two-month period in early 2012 that not only included the wire service’s headquarters but also bureaus in New York; Hartford, Conn.; Washington and the House of Representatives. It also included cellphones and home phones of the wire services’ journalists.

<snip>

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-justice-department-obtained-ap-records-20130513,0,1712953.story

[ProSense]

5. That doesn't

"Federal prosecutors secretly obtained records of telephone calls "

...tell you anything except that these are phone records. Was there a subpoena or a warrant?

[leveymg]

33. Probably an Administrative Letter (FBI subpoena) to the telco.

They're much more effective at catching whistle-blowers than terrorists. I'm wondering if the alleged Yemen matter is the drone attacks in Yemen on al-Awlaki and his 17 year old son, both US Citizens.

[jberryhill]

2. As to the seizure of AP Corp.'s records

This is a great victory against the idea that corporations have Constitutional rights.

[JaneyVee]

4. Good point. Looks like corporations AREN'T people, my friend.

[jberryhill]

8. Then there is no problem

These corporations, like Amnesty International for instance, think they have "rights".

Well, we'll show them.

[JaneyVee]

14. But Amnesty International isn't a political org, it is a social welfare org.

[jberryhill]

16. Is it a corporate entity?

[JaneyVee]

17. It's non-political, unlike the Tea Party.

[jberryhill]

18. Is Exxon a "non political" corporation?

[JaneyVee]

19. No.

Don't know where you're going with this, we're talking about AP phone records. You can stop asking me random questions now.

[jberryhill]

20. Exxon is a political organization?

I thought they were an oil company.

[JaneyVee]

21. No, the oil company is just a front.

[jberryhill]

22. Dayum!

That's like my neighbor's husband. For years we all thought he was an orthodontist.

[leveymg]

34. Technically, under FISA, they are treated as "US persons."

Which means there should have been a FISA warrant obtained for this.

[still_one]

6. Not at all, but if anyone takes what the media reports as gospel without real evidence

Let me remind you about the wmd, how Gifford was killed, how for the last frickn 12+ years Iran was this close to a nuclear missle

Don't get me wrong I do not care who does something wrong, but I will not take aps word for it, and Reuter just blathering the same thing

The media is now controlled by corporate and political interests

I say wait for the smoking gun, and I want names not unknown sources

However, for all we know it may have been legal under the patriot act which the msm was an accessory to

You noticed how the Iraq coverage was censored by our media

[CJCRANE]

7. Yes, the story itself seems like a politically motivated leak!

A leak about an investigation into a leak.

[still_one]

10. I find it interesting all this is coming out now, Libya, IRS, wow

coincidence, maybe, but I want real evidence not a kangaroo court

[marshall]

32. And I'm wondering what fresh hell is yet to be unleashed

When it rains, it pours, as they say.

[boston bean]

9. Holder is going to have to resign. When? Soon, I suppose. nt

[ProSense]

12. More:

Justice subpoenaed AP phone records, news service says
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022838649

[treestar]

24. If there is an actual subpoena then there is nothing nefarious here!

These people who keep looking for something to be outraged about show their ignorance and prove again they just want to be outraged!

The object of a subpoena can move to quash it.

[choie]

13. You called it, Cali...

n/t

[madokie]

15. What a fucking circle jerk

Jeeze.
I think I've about had my quota of outrage for one day

[treestar]

23. This is a very vague story

Implies there is something nefarious, when the government might have followed procedure. If there was a subpoena, it came from a court. That gave the government permission. The government has separation of powers, but not everything the government wants to do is illegal in the opinion of the courts.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

25. "Let the defense of Holder, Obama and ..." Yes! And with one or more diversions.

The First Amendment guarantee of freedom of the press cannot be trumped by statutes, subpoenas, and a disapproving Administrative agency. But there will be those who will view the Constitutionally guaranteed freedom of the press as being less important.

The attack on the press is as bad or worse than what could be expected in East Germany or the Soviet Union during the height of the cold war.

None of the Administration's defenders seem to be concerned about the First Amendment. Why is that?

[madokie]

27. Could it be that Holder has a job to do?

Or is it more important to bash the administration at every turn

[AnotherMcIntosh]

29. Or could it be that you have a job to do?

One that clearly doesn't involve standing up for the First Amendment?

[madokie]

31. Being blind is not being patriotic

Nor is it smart

[still_one]

38. Since the patriot act and other wonderful laws that the politicians passed, it could be possible

That everything was done legally. The question is was it constitutional

The illustrious media had no problem when these draconian laws were passed, but now are suddenly outraged when the tables are turned. Where were they when citizen rights were being violated

Perhaps this may provide the path to rule the patriot act unconstitutional, but I doubt it, since they are more concerned about protecting corporate intersts rather than people

[randome]

26. These records were obtained from the phone companies and they did not include content of calls.

Only dates and numbers for, presumably, to find who leaked a classified document.

We shouldn't trust AP's take on this since they have a motive to paint the DOJ in as bad as light as possible, as in their use of the word 'secretly'.

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[font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font]
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[madokie]

28. It appears the motive is to paint the DOJ in as bad a light as possible

sometimes facts gets in the way of a good rant

[randome]

30. Agreed. The DOJ should use as much restraint as possible but no one knows all the circumstances yet.

DU is too eager to jump on this, too. The story is only a little more than 24 hours old.

[hr]
[font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font]
[hr]

[Bluenorthwest]

35. Holder has few friends among Democratic voters. He's spent years being a hypocrite

and atavistic science hating goon squad leader. If he expects restraint and allies to support him, he needs to look to his policy peers who are Republicans for the most part. I'm sure they will stand up for Eric, he's helped them so much and they agree on so much.

[uponit7771]

37. Yeap, the overt belief in what the AP says is gob smacking

[Octafish]

36. What Bill of Rights?

First Amendment? We don't need no stinkin' First Amendment!

Freedom of the Press is so passe, anyway.