“(T)he Department of Justice believes, and the case law supports, that the president has inherent authority to conduct warrantless physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes and that the president may, as has been done, delegate this authority to the attorney general.” (Clinton administration Deputy Attorney General Jamie S. Gorelick, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, U.S. House Of Representatives, testimony, July 14, 1994)
In 1994, President Clinton expanded the use of warrantless searches to entirely domestic situations with no foreign intelligence value whatsoever. In a radio address promoting a crimefighting bill, Mr. Clinton discussed a new policy to conduct warrantless searches in highly violent public housing projects.” (Charles Hurt, “ ‘Warrantless’ Searches Not Unprecedented,” The Washington Times, Dec. 22.)
“One of the most famous examples of warrantless searches in recent years was the investigation of CIA official Aldrich H. Ames, who ultimately pleaded guilty to spying for the former Soviet Union. That case was largely built upon secret searches of Ames’ home and office in 1993, conducted without federal warrants.” (Charles Hurt, “ ‘Warrantless’ Searches Not Unprecedented,” The Washington Times, Dec. 22)
“(T)he attorney general is authorized to approve physical searches, without a court order, to acquire foreign intelligence information for periods of up to one year ...” (President Clinton, Executive Order 12949, “Foreign Intelligence Physical Searches,” Feb. 9, 1995).
Thanks for putting that all in one place, kcvl.
In hindsight, he should have asserted that those "entirely domestic situations" DID have foreign intelligence value. That way they would have been legal.