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US Senators accuse Trump administration of withholding FISA court ruling
Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Adam Schiff have accused the Trump administration of illegally withholding a secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) opinion regarding Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
The withheld ruling, issued in March, reportedly details serious compliance issues and abuses of Americans’ rights. Specifically, the court objected to search filters that allowed intelligence analysts to access Americans’ communications from intercepted data without the written justifications or records required by law. Although Section 702 lapsed in June after failing to pass reauthorization in Congress, surveillance collection continues under a separate court approval that runs through March 2027.
By law, the administration is required to review such rulings for public release within 180 days. That deadline passed on September 13. In a demand letter addressed to Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and Attorney General Todd Blanche, the senators requested an explanation for the delay and the names of responsible officials by November 6.
Entities
Adam Schiff · Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court · Jay Clayton · Ron Wyden · Todd Blanche
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The FISC objected to search filters that allowed analysts to pull Americans' messages without required approvals or records. cybernoz.com · drudge.com · cyberscoop.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Senate held a vote on Section 702 reauthorization in June that failed 218-198. gizmodo.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Attorney General Todd Blanche testified he expected the opinion to be released before the September deadline. gizmodo.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Senators Ron Wyden and Adam Schiff accuse the Trump administration of withholding a secret FISA court opinion. cybernoz.com · drudge.com · www.moncloa.com · cyberscoop.com · gizmodo.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] The administration's deadline to release the ruling was September 13. cybernoz.com · drudge.com · www.moncloa.com · gizmodo.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Surveillance collection continues under a court ruling that extends through March 2027. www.moncloa.com · cyberscoop.com · gizmodo.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Section 702 of FISA lapsed in June after Congress failed to renew it. cybernoz.com · drudge.com · www.moncloa.com · cyberscoop.com · gizmodo.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Senators demanded an explanation and the names of responsible officials by November 6. cybernoz.com · drudge.com · gizmodo.com