US lawmakers demand investigation into admin's secret surveillance of Americans
US lawmakers are calling for a federal investigation into the Department of Homeland Security's use of administrative summonses to secretly collect data on journalists and activists. The request follows reports that the agency bypassed judicial oversight to obtain records after search warrant applications were rejected.
Why it matters
It highlights significant concerns regarding government surveillance powers and the potential erosion of judicial checks and balances.
Ron Wyden on Capitol Hill in Washington DC on 22 July. Ron Wyden on Capitol Hill in Washington DC on 22 July. Trump administration US lawmakers demand investigation into Trump administration’s secret surveillance of Americans Exclusive: Two congressmembers respond to revelations of government snooping on journalists, non-profits and unions
Prefer the Guardian on Google Two congressional Democrats asked a government watchdog on Tuesday to investigate the Trump administration’s use of an obscure law to secretly collect records on journalists, non-profits and unions without judicial oversight.
The request from the Oregon senator Ron Wyden and the representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington seen by the Guardian comes amid mounting scrutiny over the way the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently used its power to issue administrative summonses related to customs matters to make extraordinary unilateral demands for information. They sent their request to the government accountability office (GAO), the non-partisan congressional watchdog.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in