The Chief Judge of Secret FISA Court Admits In Written Statement That It Cannot Properly Oversee NSA [View all]

[kpete]

It has been no secret that the FISA court has effectively operated as a rubber-stamping outfit for NSA surveillance programs. However, when the chief judge on that court, embarrassed by reports of NSA violations, admits that it really isn't intended to be an oversight entity?



Court: Ability to police U.S. spying program limited

The chief judge of the secret FISA court, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, has admitted in a written statement to The Washington Post that the court cannot properly oversee NSA surveillance.

Per The Washington Post:

The leader of the secret court that is supposed to provide critical oversight of the government’s vast spying programs said that its ability do so is limited and that it must trust the government to report when it improperly spies on Americans.

The chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court said the court lacks the tools to independently verify how often the government’s surveillance breaks the court's rules that aim to protect Americans’ privacy. Without taking drastic steps, it also cannot check the veracity of the government’s assertions that the violations its staff members report are unintentional mistakes.

Said Walton:

The FISC is forced to rely upon the accuracy of the information that is provided to the Court...The FISC does not have the capacity to investigate issues of noncompliance.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/court-ability-to-police-us-spying-program-limited/2013/08/15/4a8c8c44-05cd-11e3-a07f-49ddc7417125_story.html
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/08/15/1231553/-Chief-Judge-of-Secret-FISA-Court-Admits-It-Cannot-Properly-Oversee-NSA