Above: Former Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper
Alleged surveillance abuses by officials in the U.S. intelligence community are under investigation by an inspector general, Congress and the Justice Department. It’s impossible to yet know whether the probes will conclude there were policy, ethical or criminal violations. But it’s worth reviewing some important background.
In January 2018, Congress renewed the controversial law that allows U.S. intel agencies to surveil American citizens on U.S. soil without a court warrant. A majority of Democrats and Republicans reportedly favored adding new privacy safeguards. But surprisingly, shortly before the vote, party leaders instructed members to reject the safeguards — and so they did.
Read the rest of the news analysis in The Hill by clicking the link below:
