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Justice's OPR Ends Warrantless Spying Inquiry

by TChris

The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility wondered what role Justice Department lawyers played in assisting the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping of Americans. OPR wanted to learn whether Justice Department lawyers broke any laws or otherwise behaved unethically, but the National Security Agency refused to give OPR's lawyers the security clearances they would need to learn about the program. (Any lawyer who investigates an administration program is apparently regarded as too disloyal to merit a security clearance.) Stymied, OPR closed its inquiry.

Any meaningful investigation will have to come from a legislature that has been loathe to expose any of the Bush administration's misconduct.

"This administration thinks they can just violate any law they want, and they've created a culture of fear to try to get away with that. It's up to us to stand up to them," said [Rep. Maurice] Hinchey.

Yes it is. And it's up to the rest of us to vote for legislators who have the courage to do so.

< NSA Conducting Massive Data Collecting of Americans' Phone Calls | Reactions to NSA Phone Record Spying >
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    And it's up to the rest of us to vote for legislators who have the courage to do so. Well that rules out everyone currently holding office. Any suggestions of who we should nominate?

    Re: Justice's OPR Ends Warrantless Spying Inquiry (none / 0) (#2)
    by Punchy on Thu May 11, 2006 at 07:31:07 AM EST
    I cannot believe this isn't the lead story on the news. This seems huge. This is akin to Cheney offing his wife in the WH, but then not allowing the police to enter because of "security". When the Admin can openly commit crimes, then invoke "security" as the end-all reason to derail any investigation, then we've officially entered a dictatorship. With this precedent, why couldn't Bush declare EVERY investigation moot based on "lack of security clearance"?? Note: he was just forced to release Abramoff records (via a FOIA). The records are laughably incomplete. So damn the court ruling; they do whatever they want. Dictatorship.

    Re: Justice's OPR Ends Warrantless Spying Inquiry (none / 0) (#4)
    by Jlvngstn on Thu May 11, 2006 at 08:21:58 AM EST
    If only we could figure out a tie in to Natalee Holloway or the Duke Lacrosse team to this story, man would it get some coverage. Unfortunately, there are no dead blondes or rich preppy kids behaving badly to spice this up a bit.

    Re: Justice's OPR Ends Warrantless Spying Inquiry (none / 0) (#5)
    by DonS on Thu May 11, 2006 at 09:49:02 AM EST
    The jokers really have stepped in it this time, killing the investigation just when the headlines are blaring more NSA deviance. However, for an administration that doesn't mind circumventing anything that they don't like it probably isn't even a blip. When in doubt, invoke more totalitarrian methods . . . and just call it freeedom. No one will notice. Least of all the media scribes. The headlines may momentarily sizzle, but there's no steak.