Leahy scuttles his warrantless e-mail surveillance bill

Sen. Patrick Leahy has abandoned his controversial proposal that would grant government agencies more surveillance power -- including warrantless access to Americans' e-mail accounts -- than they possess under current law. The Vermont Democrat said today on Twitter that he would "not support such an exception" for warrantless access. The remarks came a few hours after a CNET article was published this morning that disclosed the existence of the measure. A vote on the proposal in the Senate Judiciary committee, which Leahy chairs, is scheduled for next Thursday. The amendments were due to be glued onto a substitute (PDF) to H.R. 2471, which the House of Representatives already has approved. Leahy's about-face comes in response to a deluge of criticism today, including the American Civil Liberties Union saying that warrants should be required, and the conservative group FreedomWorks launching a petition to Congress -- with more than 2,300 messages sent so far -- titled: "Tell Congress: Stay Out of My Email!"...more

Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy took to Twitter on Tueday to announce that he does not support an amendment to Senate legislation that would allow law enforcement and government agencies warrantless access to private citizens’ e-mails, social media accounts and other digital files.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/20/leahy-draws-back-support-for-warrantless-email-amendment/#ixzz2D21GsbJz

Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy took to Twitter on Tueday to announce that he does not support an amendment to Senate legislation that would allow law enforcement and government agencies warrantless access to private citizens’ e-mails, social media accounts and other digital files.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/20/leahy-draws-back-support-for-warrantless-email-amendment/#ixzz2D21GsbJz

Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy took to Twitter on Tueday to announce that he does not support an amendment to Senate legislation that would allow law enforcement and government agencies warrantless access to private citizens’ e-mails, social media accounts and other digital files.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/20/leahy-draws-back-support-for-warrantless-email-amendment/#ixzz2D21GsbJz

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office leveled charges of working behind closed doors at Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and his office following allegations and denials that he is aiming to allow law enforcement’s push for warrantless surveillance.
Leahy’s office first used Twitter and his website to hit back against criticism following a Tuesday CNET report about the senator’s proposed amendment to a bill affecting two 1980s-era surveillance bills — the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act, and the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA).


Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/22/grassley-office-leahy-working-behind-closed-doors-on-privacy-bill/#ixzz2D21s7Bwm

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office leveled charges of working behind closed doors at Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and his office following allegations and denials that he is aiming to allow law enforcement’s push for warrantless surveillance.
Leahy’s office first used Twitter and his website to hit back against criticism following a Tuesday CNET report about the senator’s proposed amendment to a bill affecting two 1980s-era surveillance bills — the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act, and the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA).


Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/22/grassley-office-leahy-working-behind-closed-doors-on-privacy-bill/#ixzz2D21s7Bwm