FISA Court to ACLU, Public: Buzz Off
By Spencer Ackerman - December 11, 2007, 4:02PM
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004880.phpIn August, the ACLU made an unorthodox request to the FISA Court. It wanted the Court to declassify the early 2007 rulings on President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program that led the administration to seek broad new authority from Congress to conduct surveillance.
And while the ACLU petition was a long shot, a few days later, the Court went back to the government and asked what the harm in declassification would be. After all, as the ACLU wrote, the facts behind the rulings had direct bearing on an ongoing legislative debate over the scope of surveillance powers. As far-fetched as it still seemed, perhaps the Court would buck its long tradition of secrecy.
Today the Court gave an answer: Nah.
The nation's spy court said Tuesday that it will not make public its documents regarding the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program.
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