ID:

313

Date:

2008-04-30

Headline:

Just Between Us: Telecoms and the Bush administration talked about how to keep their surveillance program under wraps

Reporter's name:

Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball

Delay/denial:

No

Lawsuit:

No

Fees:

No

Media outlet:

Newsweek

City:

San Francisco, CA

Summary:

Representatives from various telecommunication companies have been in contact, via phone and email, with Bush administration officials to plan ways to block more than 40 civil suits accusing the companies of privacy violations. In the past the White House had ordered major telecommunication companies to participate in a secret post-9/11 surveillance program. A FOIA lawsuit filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation uncovered communication between members of Congress, administration officials and various lawyers and lobbyists hired by carriers like AT&T and Verizon.

Notes:

The Bush administration is refusing to disclose internal e-mails, letters and notes showing contacts with major telecommunications companies over how to persuade Congress to back a controversial surveillance bill, according to recently disclosed court documents. The existence of these documents surfaced only in recent days as a result of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by a privacy group called the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Keywords:

telecom, telecommunication, company, Bush, administration, contract, surveillance, Electronic Frontier Foundation, civil suits, privacy, email

URL:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/134930

Agencies:

FISC
ODNI

States:

CA
US

Districts:

CA-12

Categories:

classified information
intelligence
lobbying
public records