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Snowden Whistleblower Status Confirmed By Ruling On Unconstitutional Bulk Phone Data Collection
Snowden Whistleblower Status Confirmed by Ruling on Unconstitutional Bulk Phone Data Collectionby Douglas Kim on December 17, 2013 ( The Whistleblogger / 2013 )
Goverrment Acountability Project
US District Court Judge Richard Leon has declared that the bulk phone record collection activities of the National Security Agency (NSA) are likely in violation of the Constitution's ban on unreasonable search. The very first of its kind, the 68-page legal opinion is highly critical of the constitutionality, and even the effectiveness, of the NSA's bulk data collection program.
This ruling significantly bolsters the claim of whistleblower status by federal contractor Edward Snowden, who disclosed NSA mass surveillance programs after he perceived these programs to be in violation of the Constitution's fourth amendment and was, consequently, charged with two counts of espionage in a criminal complaint in mid-June.
"There can be no doubt Edward Snowden is a whistleblower," commented Government Accountability Project (GAP) Executive Director Beatrice Edwards. "Despite highly disingenuous claims to the contrary, whistleblowers in the intelligence community have no protections whatsoever. There are no safe internal channels for someone like Mr. Snowden who seeks to disclose illegality."
Judge Leon's highly critical opinion goes even further by concluding the government didn't cite a single instance in which the program actually stopped an imminent terrorist attack. "I have serious doubts about the efficacy of the metadata collection program as a means of conducting time-sensitive investigations in cases involving imminent threats of terrorism."
This ruling significantly bolsters the claim of whistleblower status by federal contractor Edward Snowden, who disclosed NSA mass surveillance programs after he perceived these programs to be in violation of the Constitution's fourth amendment and was, consequently, charged with two counts of espionage in a criminal complaint in mid-June.
"There can be no doubt Edward Snowden is a whistleblower," commented Government Accountability Project (GAP) Executive Director Beatrice Edwards. "Despite highly disingenuous claims to the contrary, whistleblowers in the intelligence community have no protections whatsoever. There are no safe internal channels for someone like Mr. Snowden who seeks to disclose illegality."
Judge Leon's highly critical opinion goes even further by concluding the government didn't cite a single instance in which the program actually stopped an imminent terrorist attack. "I have serious doubts about the efficacy of the metadata collection program as a means of conducting time-sensitive investigations in cases involving imminent threats of terrorism."
Link: http://www.whistleblower.org/blog/44-2013/3116-snowden-whistleblower-status-confirmed-by-ruling-on-unconstitutional-bulk-phone-data-collection
18 replies
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Okay...I am going to tip toe back behind the wall now... 
You would think that an "agency" that can read license plates in real time from Outer Space would have a more effective Talking Points Distribution network.
Some of these people were having to recycle the old and debunked Talking Points in a Snowden thread yesterday.
Very embarrassing for the NSA supporters.
[font size=3]Rampant Government Secrecy and Democracy can NOT co-exist.
Persecution of Whistle Blowers and Democracy can NOT co-exist.[/font]
The Defenders of our Democracy:
Surely you knew that.
However, sometimes general Alexander puts a hold on the talking points and they aren't delivered until the next day.
"Despite highly disingenuous claims to the contrary, whistleblowers in the intelligence community have no protections whatsoever. There are no safe internal channels for someone like Mr. Snowden who seeks to disclose illegality."
From OP.
... boxes in his GARAGE!
Poledancer girlfriend!
