DOJ FILES TO BLOCK N.J. AG SUBPOENAS IN NSA CALL-DATA CASE

摘要

The ACLU is working on a “vigorous response” to a Justice Dept. suit filed late last week in N.J. DoJ wants to keep N.J. Attorney Gen. Zulima Farber (D) from subpoenaing Verizon and 4 other phone companies for information on their cooperation with a National Security Agency (NSA) database of call information. Farber’s subpoenas came last month, a few days after media reports that Bells had compiled massive lists of domestic phone calls for the govt. The DoJ sued in U.S. Dist. Court, Trenton, claiming state secrets privilege. The govt. says N.J. is trying to exercise federal power and the Bells would be revealing a spy program’s existence by complying with Farber’s subpoenas. DoJ has made similar arguments in cases involving the NSA program across the U.S. Privacy groups expect the agency to maintain that stance.nnBecause the state and national ACLU both are involved in the response, it’s “still being formulated,” Chris Calabrese, counsel, ACLU Technology & Liberty Program, said. He disputed a govt. claim that release of the material sought by Farber -- after an ACLU letter to the N.J. PUC -- would compromise U.S. national security. “We’re not asking Bells to tell us what the NSA does, or give details about intelligence-gathering activities,” he said. The plaintiffs want to know whether the Bells broke the law by sharing an immense number of records with the govt. without a warrant, he said.