Not so much that the information was intrusive, as the degree of intrusion was selectively DIFFERENT for various groups. It the intrusion seemed too great, a complaint should have been sufficient to cause the inquiry to be curtailed or even dropped.
And if any of the more “progressive” applicants complained (assuming any even remotely similar request was made of them), the inquiry was either withdrawn, or at least made much less onerous.
But the really excessive TIME delays, where when even if the information was provided, the application was simply not acted upon, and perhaps worse, the information contained was forwarded to some agency whose purpose was to conduct opposition research.
The Staatssicherheit (Stasi) of East Germany used similar tactics.
Not so much that the information was intrusive, as the degree of intrusion was selectively DIFFERENT for various groups.
Who decided which specific questions were asked? Were they probing for donors and other private information which they could provide to progressive groups and the Obama campaign to target? U
sing a dept of the federal government to gather opposition intel for the dem party, not illegal?