DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... Gov't obtains wide AP phone records in probe.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/govt-obtains-wide-ap-phone-records-probe


WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news.

The records obtained by the Justice Department listed incoming and outgoing calls, and the duration of each call, for the work and personal phone numbers of individual reporters, general AP office numbers in New York, Washington and Hartford, Conn., and the main number for AP reporters in the House of Representatives press gallery, according to attorneys for the AP.

In all, the government seized those records for more than 20 separate telephone lines assigned to AP and its journalists in April and May of 2012. The exact number of journalists who used the phone lines during that period is unknown but more than 100 journalists work in the offices whose phone records were targeted on a wide array of stories about government and other matters.

In a letter of protest sent to Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday, AP President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Pruitt said the government sought and obtained information far beyond anything that could be justified by any specific investigation. He demanded the return of the phone records and destruction of all copies.

"There can be no possible justification for such an overbroad collection of the telephone communications of The Associated Press and its reporters. These records potentially reveal communications with confidential sources across all of the newsgathering activities undertaken by the AP during a two-month period, provide a road map to AP's newsgathering operations, and disclose information about AP's activities and operations that the government has no conceivable right to know," Pruitt said.

The government would not say why it sought the records. U.S. officials have previously said in public testimony that the U.S. attorney in Washington is conducting a criminal investigation into who may have leaked information contained in a May 7, 2012, AP story about a foiled terror plot. The story disclosed details of a CIA operation in Yemen that stopped an al-Qaida plot in the spring of 2012 to detonate a bomb on an airplane bound for the United States.

In testimony in February, CIA Director John Brennan noted that the FBI had questioned him about whether he was AP's source, which he denied. He called the release of the information to the media about the terror plot an "unauthorized and dangerous disclosure of classified information."

Prosecutors have sought phone records from reporters before, but the seizure of records from such a wide array of AP offices, including general AP switchboards numbers and an office-wide shared fax line, is unusual and largely unprecedented.

In the letter notifying the AP received Friday, the Justice Department offered no explanation for the seizure, according to Pruitt's letter and attorneys for the AP. The records were presumably obtained from phone companies earlier this year although the government letter did not explain that. None of the information provided by the government to the AP suggested the actual phone conversations were monitored.

Among those whose phone numbers were obtained were five reporters and an editor who were involved in the May 7, 2012 story.

The Obama administration has aggressively investigated disclosures of classified information to the media and has brought six cases against people suspected of leaking classified information, more than under all previous presidents combined.

Justice Department published rules require that subpoenas of records from news organizations must be personally approved by the attorney general but it was not known if that happened in this case. The letter notifying AP that its phone records had been obtained though subpoenas was sent Friday by Ronald Machen, the U.S. attorney in Washington.

Spokesmen in Machen's office and at the Justice Department had no immediate comment on Monday.

The Justice Department lays out strict rules for efforts to get phone records from news organizations. A subpoena can only be considered after "all reasonable attempts" have been made to get the same information from other sources, the rules say. It was unclear what other steps, in total, the Justice Department has taken to get information in the case.

A subpoena to the media must be "as narrowly drawn as possible" and "should be directed at relevant information regarding a limited subject matter and should cover a reasonably limited time period," according to the rules.

The reason for these constraints, the department says, is to avoid actions that "might impair the news gathering function" because the government recognizes that "freedom of the press can be no broader than the freedom of reporters to investigate and report the news."

News organizations normally are notified in advance that the government wants phone records and enter into negotiations over the desired information. In this case, however, the government, in its letter to the AP, cited an exemption to those rules that holds that prior notification can be waived if such notice, in the exemption's wording, might "pose a substantial threat to the integrity of the investigation."

It is unknown whether a judge or a grand jury signed off on the subpoenas.

The May 7, 2012, AP story that disclosed details of the CIA operation in Yemen to stop an airliner bomb plot occurred around the one-year anniversary of the May 2, 2011, killing of Osama bin Laden.

The plot was significant because the White House had told the public it had "no credible information that terrorist organizations, including al-Qaida, are plotting attacks in the U.S. to coincide with the (May 2) anniversary of bin Laden's death."

The AP delayed reporting the story at the request of government officials who said it would jeopardize national security. Once government officials said those concerns were allayed, the AP disclosed the plot because officials said it no longer endangered national security. The Obama administration, however, continued to request that the story be held until the administration could make an official announcement.

The May 7 story was written by reporters Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman with contributions from reporters Kimberly Dozier, Eileen Sullivan and Alan Fram. They and their editor, Ted Bridis, were among the journalists whose April-May 2012 phone records were seized by the government.

Brennan talked about the AP story and leaks investigation in written testimony to the Senate. "The irresponsible and damaging leak of classified information was made ... when someone informed the Associated Press that the U.S. Government had intercepted an IED (improvised explosive device) that was supposed to be used in an attack and that the U.S. Government currently had that IED in its possession and was analyzing it," he said.

He also defended the White House's plan to discuss the plot immediately afterward. "Once someone leaked information about interdiction of the IED and that the IED was actually in our possession, it was imperative to inform the American people consistent with Government policy that there was never any danger to the American people associated with this al-Qa'ida plot," Brennan told senators.

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Wow.. I'm all for catching and prosecuting those who leak classified information within the confines of the law... but it sure seems like they cast a very wide and non-well defined net to try to catch a person or a small group of people. It will be interesting to see how this plays out... I already can guess who will be on which side but this could be one of those precedence setting events that has long and far reaching effects.

yeah this is a sticky situation to be sure.

What's complicated to me is, when you say you are "all for" something, what does that mean?

Since when can the government seize any information and records it wants without so much as a subpoena?

This country is headed to some really scary territory. The Patriot Act started some of this, but other actions taken by the government go even far beyond those powers. (many of which I think would be Unconstitutional to start with)

If the justice department found anything, I expect charges to be filed.

If the justice department didn't find anything, I expect them to destroy the records, apologize publicly, and pay a huge fine (although that would be tax money paying the fine)

People, somewhere, need to lose jobs.




Odd. The Benghazi cover up. The IRS fraud. Now this.


Who's in charge of this administration? The buck stops somewhere, right?

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What's complicated to me is, when you say you are "all for" something, what does that mean?

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It means that I believe those who leak classified information, for whatever reason, should be captured, fired, prosecuted, whatever the case may be....

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Odd. The Benghazi cover up. The IRS fraud. Now this.

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Of course if you show concern over these things you're a tinfoil hat wearing nutjob. It's all OK because Bush screwed up too.

For the non-believers that don't think our government is capable:

1. Fast and Furious. An attempt to circumvent the 2nd amendment. If the government could get enough people to clamor for gun control because of the supply of guns, they'll turn over that right. Also see the UNs Small Arms Treaty. It's written to circumvent the 2nd by putting a UN treaty over the US Constitution.
2. Patriot Act. Put up by Bush, continued by Obama. This one seriously undermines the 4th Amendment against illegal search and seizure. We can't allow these violations from any party. All see the NYC 'stop and frisk' policy and the TSAs incursions into flight, train, and road travel.
3. The Benghazi 'video'. I find it odd that the video was put forth at the same time the UN was trying to pass a resolution to forbid the denigration of religious figures, which was mostly pushed by muslim nations. Was this an attempt to circumvent the 1st Amendment. Also see the US Military's new stance on religion, especially Christian religions. The attempt to limit religion and language (constant racism/bigotry claims) are already underway.
4. Keystone pipeline. Constant bureacratic nonsense. Just how many studies must these people do?
5. IRS scandal. Nixon was impeached for using the IRS against his enemies. If the IRS started going after the Tea Party and Patriot groups in 2010, that would have been at the heyday of the Tea Party groups when they were making the most noise and seriously changed the political landscape after the 2010 Congressional elections. I was wondering what happened to the huge groups of Tea Partiers. The estimate is over 50% of Tea Party groups to apply for tax exempt status gave up, due to onerous regulations and questions from the IRS.
6. Tapping phone accounts of the AP. I wonder how long the media will be compliant after this. It doesn't matter if they're trumping stories or manipulating them, this is illegal. Please consider the Patriot Act again. It's all well and good, as long as they're only after the bad guys. It looks like even the government's friends are the bad guys now.
7. In all of these scandals, it's always an underling, low level, government nobody that gets blamed for doing these terrible violations, and they'll get back to us once they complete their own investigation into the matter. Have you been satisfied with any of their answers yet?

Does anyone see the 'fundamental change' coming yet?

Hehe.. I was told by Barack Obama.. Hope and change.

What a load of nonsense. Politicians suck.

I've always found it interesting when reading a report and it has details about the event then says "As reported by so-and-so, who wishes to remain anonymous because they were not at liberty to give details of the case."

Is there that one gossip person in every authoritative agency?

Just one cockroach.

That's what goes through my mind when I see these stories.

What is going on or what has happened previously that we've never found out about.

Seriously.

We have a Chicago Alderman running the country!

It's odd.

Behghazi - it was too soon to report on it, or it's too late to report on it. It's under investigation.

The IRS..........no one in the admin. "supports" it, and it was low level people from Cincy........until we find out it came from higher ups.

The AP phone records.........doj got them...they got caught........and we're being told it wasn't the admin's call.

We're being told that every issue around the white house had no knowledge of. Gun running, Benghazi, phone records, the IRS, the economy is Bush's fault.........it just goes on and an........nothing, NOTHING, is this administrations fault, and they knew nothing about any of it.

At what point in time do people wake up and say "hey, we've been around this merry go round enough. We want real answers."?

One can only play "stupid" for so long. One can only lay blame elsewhere for so long.

The problem with reporting history making scandals, tyranny, and a recreation of the 3rd Reich everyday from the beginning of this administration is that if everything is scandalous then nothing is scandalous.

I regret voting for Obama. I Did not vote for him the first time.. the second time Mitt was just too much of an idiot for me.. Now, it turns out this guy I voted for prez is just a common liar.

They are all liars...

Arch, this has become the nature of American politics, which is why any number of lower level people end up in legal trouble and possibly in prison while Presidents leave office and go on the book writing/speaking tour or retire quietly to their estates... Protect the President's reputation at all cost is the new mantra... Wouldn't surprise me if there isn't a large closet full of swords somewhere in the White House that each staffer knows he/she may someday have to cast themselves on in order to protect the Presidents reputation.

I'm left with believing one of two things, neither of which is particularly appealing... either our Presidents are idiots who are just blissfully ignorant of basically everything that is going on around them... or they are willingly complicit in allowing others to take the fall for their actions. We should change the name from the Executive Branch to the Plausible Deniability Branch....

At least you're man enough to admit it. You can't claim ignorance though. There were plenty of us telling you about him.

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While I appreciate kind words about stones and big balls to admit I was wrong.. please dont go assuming I did not get informed about my decision. I have posted time and time again begging people to get informed about their choices

I absolutely hated my decision at the time I made it. It was simply a choice made between two simply awful candidates. They both sucked.

We havent had a good set of candidates to vote for in years. Obama sucks. His administration blows.

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Amen Saint... I am personally tired of holding my nose and voting for what I hope is the lesser of two evils...

For once it would be really nice to actually be excited to vote for somebody instead of just voting against somebody else...

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Geez and people laugh at me when I proclaim to vote third party as if it's not going to matter anyways, except my conscience is clear that I didn't vote for the idiot in charge, unless of course the idiot I vote for actually wins.

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I took some guff because I didn't vote for Romney.....people said I may as well just vote for Obama. In other words, I should just whore out my vote.

Oh, I voted third party for prez in 2012. I wasn't about to vote for either of the two main bozos running this past fall.

Report: Justice Department targeted TWO Fox News Channel reporters and a producer for talking with government sources; Inspector General report found agents read emails, tracked phone records

*Reporters James Rosen and WIlliam LaJeunesse, producer Mike Levine were the subject of subpoenas but never notified by the government
*Fox News says U.S. journalism 'up until now has always been a free press'
*An FBI agent swore out an affidavit claiming that Rosen had broken the law, 'at the very least, either as an aider, abetter and/or co-conspirator'
*New allegations add fuel to the fire started with a DOJ investigation into the Associated Press

20 May 2013
Daily Mail - UK

The Fox News Channel is outraged over new revelations that three of its reporting staffers were targeted by the U.S. Department of Justice in criminal investigations related to their attempts to obtain information from government sources.

James Rosen, the network's chief Washington correspondent, has become a First Amendment cause celebre over his treatment by the Obama administration. But the DOJ, Fox says, also investigated the Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter William LaJeunesse and Fox News producer Mike Levine. Rosen, according to affidavits filed by FBI agents, was considered a possible criminal co-conspirator.

The Washington Post reported Monday morning that Rosen was the subject of a Department of Justice probe in relation to his reporting about North Korea's likely reactions to new UN sanctions in 2009. Federal investigators read his personal emails, obtained his phone records, and tracked his comings and goings through government buildings.

An FBI agent filed an affidavit in that case claiming that he thought Rosen had broken the law, 'at the very least, either as an aider, abetter and/or co-conspirator.'

None of the three journalists targeted by the Obama administration was notified that the government was spying on his records and emails.

'All three of our colleagues say they were never contacted by the government,' Fox News Channel correspondent Shannon Bream reported on Monday afternoon.

James Rosen (L) attracted the Justice Department's attention in 2009 when he reported on North Korea's plans to engage in additional nuclear tests following new UN sanctions. William LaJeunesse (R) broke news about Operation Fast and Furious, allegedly with the help of willing informants from inside the U.S. government

LaJeunesse and Levine were targeted in a separate Department of Justice investigation into leaks related to Operation Fast and Furious, a scandal-plagued DOJ program that sent illicit guns across the Mexican border to drug cartels in the hope of tracing the guns' path to the narcotics gangs. The federal government lost track of the majority of approximately 2,000 firearms that were allowed to cross the southern U.S. border. More than 300 deaths in Mexico, and the death of at least one U.S. Border Patrol agent, were linked to those weapons.

LaJeunesse broke stories outlining several key elements of the Fast and Furious scandal. Monday's Inspector General report from the DOJ directly quotes his emails, as well as some from Levine, the Fox News producer.

'What we don't know at this point,' Bream reported, 'is if the sources within the Justice Department may have shared those emails with investigators, or if the Fox employees' accounts were directly accessed by investigators. It's simply a question we cannot answer at this point.'

Fox News Channel released a pointed statement from executive vice president of news editorial Michael Clemente.
'We are outraged to learn today that James Rosen was named a criminal co-conspirator for simply doing his job as a reporter,' Clemente said. 'In fact, it is downright chilling.'
'We will unequivocally defend his right to operate as a member of what up until now has always been a free press.'

The news broke as White House Press Secretary Jay Carney was preparing to deliver his daily briefing to reporters, but with correspondents away from their television sets and unaware of the development, questions focused on the first incarnation of the Obama administration's press freedom scandal, involving the Associated Press.

Attorney General Eric Holder has denied having any knowledge of a probe in his agency that saw the phone records of approximately 20 AP employees turned over to federal investigators who sought to determine who had leaked information about the CIA's role in a foiled terror plot in Yemen. Holder claimed in a congressional hearing last week that he had recused himself from the investigation since he himself was interviewed as a possible suspect or witness.

Carney has denied that Obama was informed about that probe, and said Monday that the president 'is committed to the press's ability to pursue information and protecting the First Amendment. Obama is 'also mindful,' he added, 'of secret and classified information needing to stay secret and classified for national security reasons.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...nt-sources.html

So, help me out here. Under this administration we've had the DOJ tap AP phone calls, tap FOX news reporters phones and e-mails, we've seen the IRS target TEA party groups and religious groups, yet the administration insists the white house knew nothing about any of this. What the hell are they doing?

We've heard about Behngazi and the fact that O wasn't anywhere around when it was happening, BUT, he was kept informed of everything that was happening, even though no one knew where he was.......???????

We did, however, see pictures of him in the room after giving orders to kill bin laden. Apparently O knew about that. Makes for one hell of a photo op, right?

Something isn't right here. Bad news?.......the white house denies any knowledge of anything. Who's running the show? A scam artist?

Aren't all news sources upset about this?

Are they claiming to be the only news source since they're obviously conservative and conservatives are the only ones being targeted in this?

What about npr's concern? I mean they're the worst of the worst aren't they when it comes to liberal bias?

If conservatives would just relax and DO THEIR JOBS! nearly every politician at one point or another will cook their own goose.

I think you might have missed the point... the article is saying that in a separate act, apart from the AP taps, we're now learning that they also tapped Fox.
So, it isn't Fox *also* being upset, it is them *also* being targeted.