U.S. Judge Orders Bush to Release Records of Telecom Firm Contacts
Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle
The San Francisco Chronicle reported on a federal court's decision that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence must release records to EFF detailing contacts with telecommunications companies related to a lobbying campaign to immunize the carriers from lawsuits over their role in unlawful government surveillance of millions of Americans.
A federal judge in San Francisco ordered the Bush administration Wednesday to release records of any recent lobbying contacts with telecommunications companies by Dec. 10, in time for a congressional debate on the president's push to protect the firms from suits over electronic surveillance.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston granted an injunction sought by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which represents customers in a lawsuit against AT&T.
...
The Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a Freedom of Information Act request Aug. 31 for records of recent communications on the immunity issue between the office of national intelligence director Michael McConnell, telecommunications companies and members of Congress.
The office has not provided any records and has told the foundation its review should be finished by Dec. 31, which is after lawmakers are scheduled to vote on the immunity issue.
Related Issues: FOIA Litigation for Accountable Government (FLAG) Project
Related Cases: FOIA: Telecom Lobbying Records
[Permalink] [Externalink]
