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
Bump! Lily Tomlin was great on those shows.
ya ever wonder at the legitimacy of an outfit when they have a carney as a press secretary
then lets say it is the truth.
This has been yet again a perfect example of failed Govt when it is too big , as one hand does not know the other hand is doing.
LOL! Perfect.
Correct, they know it’s not true and the one supposedly in charge really is clueless.
Obozo is becoming a gross caricature of a stereotype.
The buck stops at the Whitehouse gate. Dave’s not here.
Patriot Act. No judge needed.
i love dancing girls
And when it does, she needs to be flayed. Full force.
2 outta 3 ain’t bad...
I think carney’s days are numbered, severely numbered.
“The White House has no knowledge whatsoever.”
Every time I hear Obama or Jay Carney tell us about how much they don’t know, I wonder why they think that makes them look better. Incompetence is not pretty, especially when you are getting paid to lead.
The White Hut is a side show.
Does he even know he’s president?
Obama and Co. the modern Know-nothings - healthcare, economies, IRS skullduggery, election fraud, Benghazi murders, AP wire tapping - there’s no limit to what Obama didn’t know and when he didn’t know it.
Exactly!! I think the” I didn’t know about that” is going to wear thin...if he really doesn’t know anything??? what the He** is doing being president???
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