Obama Justice Department Secretly Monitored AP Reporters' Phone Records

[red states rule]

What is going on with this administration?





What the hell is going on within the Obama administration? Another huge scandal (http://bigstory.ap.org/article/govt-obtains-wide-ap-phone-records-probe) rears its head, and I'd bet the press won't take this one lying down:


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.


The Associated Press is understandably livid:



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.


http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2013/05/13/breaking-obama-justice-department-secretly-monitored-ap-reporters-phone-records-n1594033

[Kathianne]

This is why conservatives should stay focused on issues and facts, not speculation and talk of 'taking down.' Let the progressives be the party that can't shoot straight. Wow:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/05/13/government_obtains_wide_ap_phone_records_in_probe_ 118385.html


Government Secretly Obtains Associated Press Phone RecordsBy Mark Sherman (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/authors/mark_sherman/) - May 13, 2013



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.


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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.

...

[Kathianne]

Great minds, we posted close. Same thing.

[red states rule]

Great minds think alike Kat

http://www.debatepolicy.com/showthread.php?40750-Obama-Justice-Department-Secretly-Monitored-AP-Reporters-Phone-Records

[red states rule]

Great minds, we posted close. Same thing.

Obama must have a political death wish. He is pissing off his most loyal base - and they have miles of paper and tankers full of ink

[fj1200]

What possible reason could they have for this? Well, if all of this keeps up the Republicans won't even have to nominate anyone good to win the WH.

[aboutime]

This is what dreams of Pretender's become.....4988

[red states rule]

Believe it or not, my liberal buddy said it was Bush's fault

Thanks to Department of Homeland Security - they can do it for national security

[jimnyc]

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 outgoing calls 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. It was not clear if the records also included incoming calls or the duration of calls.

In all, the government seized the 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 where 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 provided 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.

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

[red states rule]

http://www.debatepolicy.com/showthread.php?40750-Obama-Justice-Department-Secretly-Monitored-AP-Reporters-Phone-Records

[jimnyc]

http://www.debatepolicy.com/showthread.php?40750-Obama-Justice-Department-Secretly-Monitored-AP-Reporters-Phone-Records

Merged mine in. I was just going to delete my thread but I think they are different links on the same story.

[red states rule]

Merged mine in. I was just going to delete my thread but I think they are different links on the same story.

No sweat Jim. What matters is Obama's DOJ really f'd up on this one. They pissed off their most important supporters

[Marcus Aurelius]

this deserves a giant...


What


the


fuck???????

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

What possible reason could they have for this? Well, if all of this keeps up the Republicans won't even have to nominate anyone good to win the WH.

I bet that saddens you a lot.... your first thought was it? :laugh:

[Kathianne]

Great minds, we posted close. Same thing.

Thanks for the thanks from several. Mine was deleted, not merged. I had some advice for conservatives, but lost now to the great rabbit hole. ;)

[jimnyc]

Thanks for the thanks from several. Mine was deleted, not merged. I had some advice for conservatives, but lost now to the great rabbit hole. ;)

Yikes, none of us deleted it, did we?

[aboutime]

Believe it or not, my liberal buddy said it was Bush's fault

Thanks to Department of Homeland Security - they can do it for national security


red states rule. I guess. When all else fails, or falls apart for liberals. All they have left is to blame the most likely, most frequently used excuse in blaming Bush.
He loves it when Democrats blame him for stuff. It proves how everything he said, and didn't say was actually true.

[fj1200]

I bet that saddens you a lot.... your first thought was it? :laugh:

:rolleyes:

[jimnyc]

Thanks for the thanks from several. Mine was deleted, not merged. I had some advice for conservatives, but lost now to the great rabbit hole. ;)

I just found the above post/thread from you and RSR's reply, merged them in here too.

[red states rule]

red states rule. I guess. When all else fails, or falls apart for liberals. All they have left is to blame the most likely, most frequently used excuse in blaming Bush.
He loves it when Democrats blame him for stuff. It proves how everything he said, and didn't say was actually true.

My pal has Gabby syndrome. Everything is Bush's fault and Obama is simply an innocent bystander

[Kathianne]

Yikes, none of us deleted it, did we?

Hit me with a rutabaga, I thought mine was deleted, didn't see it when I went looking in politics. Thanks for merging, the advice was serious, at least to me.

I'm sorry for whining and yes, I'm eating the cheese.

[aboutime]

My pal has Gabby syndrome. Everything is Bush's fault and Obama is simply an innocent bystander


red states rule. That's true about Obama. Just ask him who he blames for almost everything.
Which makes one wonder whether Michelle might have something to blame Bush for as well?????

[red states rule]

red states rule. That's true about Obama. Just ask him who he blames for almost everything.
Which makes one wonder whether Michelle might have something to blame Bush for as well?????

Up until tonight I thought the only way the liberal media would cover the cover-up and IRS story would be for Obama to switch parties and become a Republican. But pissing off the liberal media will accomplish the same

[aboutime]

Up until tonight I thought the only way the liberal media would cover the cover-up and IRS story would be for Obama to switch parties and become a Republican. But pissing off the liberal media will accomplish the same


red states rule. But, the Liberal Media has no more intelligence than their youngest, wannabe journalism students who work for Minimum wage because THEY KNOW...only they can save the World.
The only thing the Liberal media can accomplish has all been done, and the results were the LAST TWO presidential elections.

[Kathianne]

red states rule. But, the Liberal Media has no more intelligence than their youngest, wannabe journalism students who work for Minimum wage because THEY KNOW...only they can save the World.
The only thing the Liberal media can accomplish has all been done, and the results were the LAST TWO presidential elections.

So all the pieces written and that may be written, accusing this administration of wrong doing are wrong, right? Everyone should stay static.

[aboutime]

So all the pieces written and that may be written, accusing this administration of wrong doing are wrong, right? Everyone should stay static.

Did I say that? Wow! Not quite sure what you intended above Kathianne.

[Kathianne]

Did I say that? Wow! Not quite sure what you intended above Kathianne.

Then what was your point? I read it as that it 'will never change,' i.e., 'written in stone.' I guess they are liars and never, ever tell the truth.

If I misread, I'm sorry. I await your clarification.

[aboutime]

Then what was your point? I read it as that it 'will never change,' i.e., 'written in stone.' I guess they are liars and never, ever tell the truth.

If I misread, I'm sorry. I await your clarification.


This is what I said. Where did I say such as you described:
"http://www.debatepolicy.com/images/debate_policy/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by aboutime http://www.debatepolicy.com/images/debate_policy/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.debatepolicy.com/showthread.php?p=637820#post637820)red states rule. But, the Liberal Media has no more intelligence than their youngest, wannabe journalism students who work for Minimum wage because THEY KNOW...only they can save the World.
The only thing the Liberal media can accomplish has all been done, and the results were the LAST TWO presidential elections."

[Kathianne]

This is what I said. Where did I say such as you described:
"http://www.debatepolicy.com/images/debate_policy/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by aboutimehttp://www.debatepolicy.com/images/debate_policy/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://www.debatepolicy.com/showthread.php?p=637820#post637820)red states rule. But, the Liberal Media has no more intelligence than their youngest, wannabe journalism students who work for Minimum wage because THEY KNOW...only they can save the World.
The only thing the Liberal media can accomplish has all been done, and the results were the LAST TWO presidential elections."

Yeah, I read that and thought you were making a point. I guess I was wrong and you meant it literally for some reason. Okay. Funny thing, none of the reporters were 'new.' In fact, that was the point from the get go of the topic.

[aboutime]

Yeah, I read that and thought you were making a point. I guess I was wrong and you meant it literally for some reason. Okay. Funny thing, none of the reporters were 'new.' In fact, that was the point from the get go of the topic.


I see what you meant now. My mistake. I should have said....the Media ACTS as if they are Wannabe's.
Hopefully. Now. After the AP learned about how their favorite politician has betrayed them, just as he has betrayed all of us.
They will begin anew with Honesty, and Truthful facts that are non-partisan...if only in a tiny, new way.

[Kathianne]

I see what you meant now. My mistake. I should have said....the Media ACTS as if they are Wannabe's.
Hopefully. Now. After the AP learned about how their favorite politician has betrayed them, just as he has betrayed all of us.
They will begin anew with Honesty, and Truthful facts that are non-partisan...if only in a tiny, new way.

I'd settle for reporting the news and leave partisanship with the editorial writers. I'm certain that's too much to ask, but I do expect some improvement.

[red states rule]

Here is the DOJ's "reason" for what they did




Here's the DOJ's deeply Orwellian statement (http://www.buzzfeed.com/jtes/department-of-justice-seizes-journalists-phone-records):



We take seriously our obligations to follow all applicable laws, federal regulations, and Department of Justice policies when issuing subpoenas for phone records of media organizations. Those regulations require us to make every reasonable effort to obtain information through alternative means before even considering a subpoena for the phone records of a member of the media. We must notify the media organization in advance unless doing so would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of the investigation. Because we value the freedom of the press, we are always careful and deliberative in seeking to strike the right balance between the public interest in the free flow of information and the public interest in the fair and effective administration of our criminal laws.

Notifying the AP that they were secretly collecting work and personal phone records data on dozens of reporters and editors for months was a "substantial threat" to the investigation? But remember, they "value the freedom of the press."

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2013/05/13/breaking-obama-justice-department-secretly-monitored-ap-reporters-phone-records-n1594033

[red states rule]

I'd settle for reporting the news and leave partisanship with the editorial writers. I'm certain that's too much to ask, but I do expect some improvement.

Kat, when I first heard about the DOJ snooping on reporters (Fox News was breaking the story) I wondered when members of the liberal media became members of the Tea Party

[KitchenKitten99]

I made this one yesterday...

https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/7456600320/h043D6CAC/

[aboutime]

Kat, when I first heard about the DOJ snooping on reporters (Fox News was breaking the story) I wondered when members of the liberal media became members of the Tea Party


red. The MEDIA shoe is now...finally on the other foot. The actions of the Obama administration is what the MEDIA has been protecting since Obama was sworn-in, and began to disobey his oath...that the MEDIA ignored due to overwhelming LOVE OF OBAMA.

They refused to report on, or take any advice from people like us who warned them...early on. What they could eventually expect from their DECLARED Messiah of the World who promised to SAVE all of them.

And this is the THANKS they get???

That's what you get when you become the partner of a known, proven Liar, and when you aid in the next ongoing lies. You eventually get your toes stepped on with more lies of your own. Telling the rest of us....WE are racists because Obama is black...and the Media helped Obama divide the nation....POOR MSM...who's cryin' now???

[red states rule]

http://media.townhall.com/Townhall/Car/b/Foden20130515-Rotting%20Head20130514033704.jpg

[KitchenKitten99]

http://media.townhall.com/Townhall/Car/b/Foden20130515-Rotting%20Head20130514033704.jpg

In this, their theme song is "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming swimming swimming..."

[red states rule]

http://media.townhall.com/Townhall/Car/b/holb_c10929120130515120100.jpg

[red states rule]

http://media.townhall.com/Townhall/Car/b/gmc10931620130515080100.jpg

[BillyBob]

Up until this point the media has been shilling for the demo-fascist party for decades. Libs have gotten used to it and have been obediently burying certain stories on a partisan basis, helping to perpetuate lies and cover-ups for their demo-tyrant masters, attacking conservatives and spreadings lies about them without question. After dutifully participating in these oppressive actions they suddenly find themselves the target of the very people whom they have defending all these years.

I wonder why these fascist pawns ever thought they were above being targeted themselves? Anyone who relies on the government deserves what the government gives them.

[red states rule]

Now Sgt Schultz is admitting the truth about Obama and his Chicago style politics





When Lyndon Johnson lost CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite during the Vietnam War, or so the legend goes, he knew his days in the White House were numbered.

If President Obama hears what previously stalwart liberal ally Ed Schultz said on his radio show yesterday, he may feel a similar chill down his spine.


Schultz was talking with documentary filmmaker Robert Greenwald about the Justice Department's seizure of Associated Press phone records to investigate leaked information about a thwarted al Qaeda bomb plot in 2012.

Greenwald complained that the Justice Department's action is part of a long pattern of intimidation against whistleblowers, leading Schultz to speculate that Obama's presidency might be doomed


SCHULTZ: My God, this just doesn't even sound like Barack Obama, it just doesn't. You know, your, your film, "War on Whistleblowers: Free Press and the National Security State," shows that the recent crackdown is not the first time the DoJ, the Department of Justice under the Obama administration has come after journalists. Now, with "War on Whistleblowers" as a backdrop and then this story surfaces, what are we to believe? ... This is tough times and, hard times and bubble gum for, for Obama supporters, don't you think? It's tough to chew here.

GREENWALD: It's very tough times and, you know, that's what I said, I don't think anyone wants, you know, people who are Obama supporters or supporters of progressive policies, this is not gleeful jumping up and down, this is saying this is sad, this is painful, but we've got to speak the truth and we've gotta create pressure. And maybe, you know, one positive thing to think about is, think about what people in the immigrant community (have) done, and the LGB community. When they were not getting what they needed, they pushed back. It's similar with civil liberties, it's going to be similar with war, it's going to be similar with drones. We need to push back on this. And sadly, there is a pattern and this happens with all presidents, whether you call it the military industrial complex or the national security state, which checks on 1.7 billion emails every day, think about that power. They have a tremendous impact and power on whosever president. And it's our job as real patriots to push against that.

SCHULTZ: Well, you know, if somebody's politically motivated, they can destroy people's lives. They can, they can, they can destroy candidates, they can destroy people's lives. I mean, this is almost like a secret society that's operating here. And if this goes all the way to the president, it'll be the end of Barack Obama, it will. If this goes all the way to the president, this could be, this could be his downfall.
The first weekend broadcast of "The Ed Show" aired May 11, two months after the show was pulled from MSNBC's weeknight lineup. See what happens when Schultz gets some distance from the Obama apologists in MSNBC primetime? He's now capable of occasional independent thought.


Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jack-coleman/2013/05/15/ed-schultz-obama-could-be-his-downfall#ixzz2TRrc3GLk