Inderjeet Kaur ji
Public safety is one of the fundamental responsibilities of the executive branch in the US Constitution, the 4th Amendment not-withstanding. To ignore public safety would be malfeasance and impeachable.
What do we have on the radar screen now that would be grounds for impeachment? As far as I can see, nothing to speak of.
Federal Courts have on many occasions restricted the scope of the 4th Amendment in the interests of public safety.
Federal interception of digital information was authorized by Congress in 1973, and Congress passed the Patriot Act in 2001.
The FISA (Foreign Information Surveillance Act) extends the scope of intelligence gathering under the Patriot Act circa 2008. It was passed by Congress and is periodically reviewed.
Each year Congress has expanded FISA's scope. Challenges are heard by the FICA (secret court) also authorized by Congress, and its proceedings are classified. Right now the Electronic Frontier Foundation is attempting to gain access to successful challenges of the government wrongdoing under FISA by the court. Senator Ron Wyden made the information public about 1 successful challenge, but cannot disclose outcomes because the information is classified. Whether the FICA has the jurisdiction to release its own decisions is being disputed by the Department of Justice.
So who would be impeached? Who has violated Federal laws or breached constitutional restrictions -- based on what we now know? What the President knew and when he knew it is classified. Congress has bound itself to secrecy and cannot impeach itself. Legislative support for FISA has been bi-partisan; therefore Republicans are unlikely to weigh in against FISA any more than Democrats.
Public safety is one of the fundamental responsibilities of the executive branch in the US Constitution, the 4th Amendment not-withstanding. To ignore public safety would be malfeasance and impeachable.
What do we have on the radar screen now that would be grounds for impeachment? As far as I can see, nothing to speak of.
Federal Courts have on many occasions restricted the scope of the 4th Amendment in the interests of public safety.
Federal interception of digital information was authorized by Congress in 1973, and Congress passed the Patriot Act in 2001.
The FISA (Foreign Information Surveillance Act) extends the scope of intelligence gathering under the Patriot Act circa 2008. It was passed by Congress and is periodically reviewed.
Each year Congress has expanded FISA's scope. Challenges are heard by the FICA (secret court) also authorized by Congress, and its proceedings are classified. Right now the Electronic Frontier Foundation is attempting to gain access to successful challenges of the government wrongdoing under FISA by the court. Senator Ron Wyden made the information public about 1 successful challenge, but cannot disclose outcomes because the information is classified. Whether the FICA has the jurisdiction to release its own decisions is being disputed by the Department of Justice.
So who would be impeached? Who has violated Federal laws or breached constitutional restrictions -- based on what we now know? What the President knew and when he knew it is classified. Congress has bound itself to secrecy and cannot impeach itself. Legislative support for FISA has been bi-partisan; therefore Republicans are unlikely to weigh in against FISA any more than Democrats.
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