Posted on 05/13/2013 1:49:29 PM PDT by CWW
Edited on 05/13/2013 1:56:19 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
WASHINGTON (AP) The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news.
The records obtained by the Justice Department listed incoming and outgoing calls, and the duration of each call, for the work and personal phone numbers of individual reporters, general AP office numbers in New York, Washington and Hartford, Conn., and the main number for AP reporters in the House of Representatives press gallery, according to attorneys for the AP.
In all, the government seized those records for more than 20 separate telephone lines assigned to AP and its journalists in April and May of 2012. The exact number of journalists who used the phone lines during that period is unknown but more than 100 journalists work in the offices whose phone records were targeted on a wide array of stories about government and other matters.
In a letter of protest sent to Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday, AP President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Pruitt said the government sought and obtained information far beyond anything that could be justified by any specific investigation. He demanded the return of the phone records and destruction of all copies.
"There can be no possible justification for such an overbroad collection of the telephone communications of The Associated Press and its reporters. 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.
The government would not say why it sought the records. U.S. officials have previously said in public testimony that the U.S. attorney in Washington is conducting a criminal investigation into who may have leaked information contained in a May 7, 2012, AP story about a foiled terror plot. The story disclosed details of a CIA operation in Yemen that stopped an al-Qaida plot in the spring of 2012 to detonate a bomb on an airplane bound for the United States.
Team6/30 deaths
I really don’t doubt it. I expect nothing will come of it.
The White House on Monday distanced President Obama from the Department of Justices 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.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3019045/posts?page=1
Yes...and mentors as well...
When they started attacking the second, they probably should have waited before attacking the first. After all, 90% of the press is in their pocket. Or was. After this, no telling what the press is going to do.
I expect to see some media removing their lips from Obambi’s backside soon. Some...
I think its all a ruse.
Remember we just had a "background meeting" with selected members the press days ago.
Trust No One!
We can hope! But I’m not holding my breath. Guy seems to be made of teflon.
Hi back to you :)
“I Am sick and tired blah blah blah...!!! Screech...”
“The media has an odd combination of Obama idolatry, a desire to forward the Liberal agenda by any means necessary, and a fear of being labelled racist if they were to tell the truth about this administration.”
In addition the major television networks are heavily regulated by government. NBC/Comcast, Disney/ABC, CBS, TimeWarner/CNN are huge corporations involved in many business for which they need licenses and regulatory approval from the federal government. They are not going to allow their news organizations to turn on an administration that will gladly use its regulatory power to retaliate.
Oh please. "At this point, what difference does it make?" "It was a long time ago."
Media will do nothing.
Congress will do nothing.
Zero will never be thrown out of office by Congress.
It is a lock.
Nixon wasn't impeached. He resigned when it became evident that he would be.
Yeah I know..I made a boo boo
Listening to the Beach Boys, "Let's go surfin now, everybody's surfin now, c'mon Safari with meee."
Yup, this is the time to kick Soebarka square in the nuts with a ruling on his fraudulent documents.
Me too. Best I've felt in awhile. Now I know how Lee felt when his "Blood was up." I'm ready to charge. . Just say the word.
I agree. This is a set up being played on the public. Remember the behind closed doors meeting with the press corps this last weekend.
Sorry, but I’m not buying this for a minute. This entire thing just stinks to me. You guys want to be “giddy”, you go right ahead. There’s something fishy about this.
Remember this: THE MEDIA LOVE AND ADORE OBAMA. THEY WOULD NEVER, EVER CHALLENGE HIM. HE IS THEIR MESSIAH.
If the congresscritters do not respond to the events of the day, can a Revolution be far behind. Yes I said it, a Revolution!
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.