Posted on 05/26/2006 5:23:01 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Three chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union sued AT&T Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc. in state court Friday to block the telecommunications companies from providing phone records to the federal government.
Two complaints filed in San Francisco Superior Court claim the companies violated state law by helping the National Security Agency assemble the largest database in the world.
The complaints name 17 individuals as plaintiffs, including a former congressman, a nationally syndicated journalist and a psychiatrist.
The allegations, which a spokesman from Verizon denied, are based on a May 11 article from USA Today, which said AT&T, Verizon and other companies provided the NSA with records showing the calling patterns of millions of phone customers in the United States. Data included phone numbers of both parties, call time, date and length of call.
"The fact of making the call needs to remain private," said ACLU lawyer Ann Brick.
Verizon spokesman Bob Varettoni said the suit against his company was meritless. He declined to elaborate.
In a written statement, Verizon denied news reports that it entered into an agreement with the NSA to provide data from its customers' domestic calls.
AT&T issued a statement that said it does not provide caller records to law enforcement officials or government agencies without "legal authorization."
Federal officials have declined to say whether they are compiling such a database, but President Bush has said his administration's anti-terrorism surveillance programs are legal and constitutional.
The lawsuits come two days after ACLU chapters filed complaints with state officials in 20 states over the spying allegations and mounted a national advertising campaign dubbed "Don't Spy on Me."
Wednesday's complaints were filed with utility officials or attorneys general in those states, which include New York, Texas and Connecticut.
Plaintiffs in the San Francisco lawsuits include former Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell and Robert Scheer, a syndicated columnist and reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Oh...this ought to be real good. Get the popcorn. Ma Bell and the ACLU,uh huh.
The ACLU is the enemy within. Who needs islamofascists when we've got regular fascists in the ACLU who want to destroy America?
OK... QUESTION FOR FREEPER LEGAL FOLKS: If, heaven forbid, we get hit by a terror act, and we find out there was say phone communication which we could not track because of the ACLU judicial action.Would it be possible to sue the ever bejeepers and bankrupt the organization?
I detest the ACLU.....anti-Christian, lethal group. They would rather get us all KILLED than side with a Christian like Bush. They would NOT sue if Hillary was in charge.
I would doate money to bring suit against that hideous ACLU.
You all have to admit that the aclu is using a unreproachable source, and I for one give kudos to the depth of investigation the aclu went to. The USA needs more watchdogs and trial lawyers like this, given the immense research that went into this lawsuit.
In a related story, the aclu is suing the perp who took "batboy's" picture and sold it to the nations tabloids!
I for one am deeply grateful to have my tax dollars go to such an honorable organization.
Thank you for your time spent reading my response. I shall now retire to my easy chair and down 12 beers, very quickly.
FMCDH(BITS)
No. The status quo gubbmint likes it this way. It kind of takes your eyes off of what's really shaking in DC.
FMCDH(BITS)
Went to your home page, dittos
but... in my case it will be (EWFMCDH)
Empty Weapon From My Cold Dead Hands, (I refuse to travel alone)
TT
They have always been an enemy of America.
Wouldn't it be an absolute hoot for the NSA to monitor the Anti-Christian Lunacy Union's phone calls?
Who knows, they may even find bin Laden.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.