Posted on 05/13/2013 5:59:46 PM PDT by jazusamo
The White House on Monday distanced President Obama from the Department of Justice’s seizure of Associated Press telephone records.
“Other than press reports, we have no knowledge of any attempt by the Justice Department to seek phone records of the AP,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement.
Carney said the White House had no involvement in the Justice effort.
“We are not involved in decisions made in connection with criminal investigations, as those matters are handled independently by the Justice Department,” he said.
The Justice Department said in a letter to the AP on Friday that it had gathered records on at least 20 office, cell phone, and home phone numbers — including the AP's desk in the House of Representatives press gallery.
The AP believes the records seizure was related to a leak investigation regarding a 2012 story about the CIA foiling a bomb plot in Yemen. The Obama administration has aggressively investigated the disclosure of classified anti-terror information in recent years, subpoenaing journalists from the New York Times and Washington Post.
In a letter of protest sent to Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday, AP President Gary Pruitt said there could be “no possible justification for such an overbroad collection of the telephone communications.”
“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.
In a statement, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said it was “always careful and deliberate” in deciding to target media organizations.
News of Justice seizing the records comes as the administration is already dealing with accusations the IRS abused its power by targeting conservative groups for tax audits.
The administration is also under attack for its handling of the Benghazi attack.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/299479-white-house-no-knowledge-of-ap-phone-record-seizure#ixzz2TDxZV3WK Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook
So, apparently the record seizure was in response to a leak.
Perhaps, they need to check out the WH since there are officials there that have siblings in high places in the media.
Now that you mention it, me neither.
Loyalty. Or at least fear driven compliance.
Failing that, a chilling effect on anyone who would dare provide the media with any truth.
The stated purpose was telephone evidence of a leak regarding a terror plot in Yemen in March 2012.
They are actually looking to intimidate the AP
If the AP is lost, the Presidency is lost
Perhaps this is just a gentle reminder of who owns who?
I hope Sally Sweelies likes very rough sex, she's gonna get a lot of it!
(This picture was taken back when the relationship was more, how shall I put it?, consensual)
I suspect AP will find that Obama, Holder and Co. can make Castro* look like a saint...
*Ariel, Fidel, whatever...
Time to compile a few hours of Carney, Obama, Hitlery, Pelousy ,Nepoleanitano and Holder saying “..no knowledge, no idea, no credible evidence”.. blah blah blah. Wonder how many hours that would be showing just how much they don’t know.
Poor AP. They thought the crocodile would wait to eat them last....
Although you and I are exceedingly wise, If we see through it, so does most of the world.
It was a desperate panic reaction
Most of the world sees it.
The prestitutes have only become more desperate to please their pimp.
Beat me, degrade me, use me for terrible things, but pleasepleaseplease don’t leave me!!!
Justice Department Expands Hunt for Data on Cellphones
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/26/justice-department-expands-hunt-for-data-on-cellphones/
Obama’s NSA eavesdropping goes beyond that of Bush... after campaigning on the promise of: “ No warrantless wiretaps if you elect me!”
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9845595-7.html
headlines read: “NSA Exceeds Legal Limits In Eavesdropping Program” , “ U.S. phone intercepts go beyond legal limits” , and “NSA Found Improperly Spying on Americans”.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123985123667923961.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
http://uk.reuters.com/article/burningIssues/idUKTRE53F09820090416
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/15/justice-dept-nsa-improperly-spied-americans/
Oh well, nevermind, as long as we FEEL safer and it’s not BUSH!
What the Justice Dept. did is a serious breach of the law in that it was not narrowly limited to a specific action okayed by a judge for a warrant.
DOJ could and probably did get many different sources for AP reporters.
Good point...This shows they'll use any means to stop the flow of information from the Executive Branch on their illegal and/or unethical acts.
Like you say, it's hard to imagine the lengths they go to with an unfriendly news source because AP has been good to them as a rule.
If that wasn’t the video you posted, I would’ve had to post a picture of that same thing...
This is risible to the point of insanity, plain and simple insanity. Do they really think we aren't aware that "White House says..."
or "Obama says..." is literally never followed by any statement that is true, either here or in the other eight dimensions?
Pull the other one, "White House."
Pretty hilarious that the bozo who took so much credit for bin-ladin’s death is suddenly not involved in anything.
Well put, they can’t seem to tell the truth and even some Libs question them now.
Total BS!
LOL! Right on, it’s to whom it benefits that makes all the difference.
This administration (including the POTUS) has no awareness of anything going on as executed by people for whom they are responsible. No wonder they feel that they have all the time and money in the world to go on fantastic vacations and almost daily trips to the links...
How foolish of us to expect otherwise. There are many ‘dots’ here. Connect ‘em all. Get the whole set.
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