ACLU Refusing To Give Documents Back To U.S. Government
From the Stop The ACLU Blogburst, Jay posted: U.S. Subpoenas ACLU Over Possession Of Secret Document :
Via the ACLU we find out the U.S. government is finally being proactive against the ACLU in protecting classified information from being leaked for our enemies to know.
The American Civil Liberties Union today announced that it has asked a federal judge to quash a grand jury subpoena demanding that it turn over to the FBI “any and all copies” of a December 2005 government document in its possession.
The ACLU called the subpoena, served on November 20 by the U.S. Attorney’s office in New York, a transparent attempt to intimidate government critics and suppress informed criticism and reporting.
“The government’s attempt to suppress information using the grand jury process is truly chilling and is unprecedented in law and in the ACLU’s history,” said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. “This subpoena serves no legitimate investigative purpose and tramples on fundamental First Amendment rights. We recognize this maneuver for what it is: a patent attempt to intimidate and impede the work of human rights advocates like the ACLU who seek to expose government wrongdoing.”
The three-and-a-half page document, issued in December 2005, is marked “Secret” and apparently is classified. The ACLU received the document, unsolicited, on October 23, 2006.
Apparently a document marked “Secret” is classified? You don’t say! Someone please tell me the ACLU is really this stupid. Quite a scary thing that such a dangerous organization like the ACLU has its hands on classified information. I think the ACLU has already demonstrated how reckless they can be with secret information. You can bet there would be no regard to National Security.
The ACLU think that exposing government wrongdoing is exposing to the enemy the governments efforts and techniques to secure our nation.
In legal papers, the ACLU said that while release of the document might be “mildly embarrassing” to the government, the ACLU’s possession of it is legal and its release could in no way threaten national security. To the contrary, the ACLU said, the designation of the generally unremarkable document as “Secret” “appears to be a striking, yet typical, example of overclassification.”
So who elected the ACLU to determine what should or shouldn’t be classified? And if the document is so “unremarkable” why are they fighting so hard to keep it? The ACLU then goes on to justify having classified information by stating that some of the biggest news of the past year came from leaks of classified information, like the NSA surveillance program, SWIFT, etc. I think we all remember how the ACLU handled these leaks. When it comes to National Security, the ACLU has created a dangerous reputation. I don’t think they should have any say so in what remains classified or not.
Rob at Say Anything sums it up:
So, basically, the ACLU is claiming that the Bush administration is trying to “suppress information” by getting some leaked classified documents back. But isn’t the government supposed to suppress classified information? Isn’t that the reason it is classified in the first place? I mean, if the government isn’t supposed to be suppressing classified information, then why are we classifying it in the first place?
And how does the government requesting leaked classified documents back violate the ACLU’s first amendment rights? Surely the ACLU isn’t suggesting that first amendment rights extend to illegal leaks of private information, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to stop someone who obtained my bank records from somebody at the bank who illegally divulged them from putting my private information on the internet.
I sometimes wonder if the ACLU even takes its own arguments seriously.
Although the ACLU has been told that it is not a target of the investigation, which I think it should be, it is interesting that the the subpoena refers to the Espionage Act. That is too bad. The FBI have their own concerns over the ACLU. Between the shady business of their funding issues, helping America’s enemies, spying on their own members, and FBI concerns; there are many reasons besides illegally obtaining classified information that the ACLU should be investigated.
I’m just glad to see the government being proactive to prevent classified information from falling into the hands of our enemies. If the ACLU has its way that is where it will end up.
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December 14, 2006 - 02:37 PM on December 14th, 2006
What else should you ever expect from the nations must leftists group around its time to shut down the Atheist.Communists and Lawyers United:mad:
December 15, 2006 - 09:09 AM on December 15th, 2006
I guess so long as its classified we won’t know if its actually a question of national security or just pictures of Bush with a goat…
December 15, 2006 - 09:23 AM on December 15th, 2006
Solarc,
Shiloh is the one with the goat preference.
It may just be a picture of Hillary in bed with Janet Reno.
December 15, 2006 - 10:30 AM on December 15th, 2006
Don’t they still have that team of “jackbooted thugs”, Janet Reno’s stormtroopers, the guys with the MP5s that went in to grab the little Cuban kid? Here’s a mission for them.
I can just picture the guy with the MP5 shoving in the face of some weasel ACLU lawyer clutching the documents, a look of sheer panic on his rat face.
December 15, 2006 - 04:16 PM on December 15th, 2006
…we find out the U.S. government is finally being proactive against the ACLU in protecting classified information from being leaked…
This is good- hopefully the governement will sue the ACLU for a change.
So who elected the ACLU to determine what should or shouldn’t be classified?
No, they should not. It is not their right nor function. This is the function of the courts. For this blatently illegal action, if it were up to me I would work to get the ACLU disbanded, and their lawyers involved in this case disbarred.
I guess so long as its classified we won’t know if its actually a question of national security or just pictures of Bush with a goat:
That is irrelevant. If the ACLU wanted the document declassied, they should use the FOIA like everyone else and have the courts decide.
December 15, 2006 - 08:58 PM on December 15th, 2006
Isn’t unauthorized possession of a classified document a crime in this country anymore? To hell with subpoenaing them, let the FBI rip their offices apart like the ATF does any gun manufacturer or dealer who has gotten on one of the agents’ Special High Intensity Training list. Without a warrant, they rip the place apart, take every document in sight, and then leave the place a mess while withholding business pertinent documents for months even without any evidence of wrongdoing. Funny you don’t hear of the ACLU coming to the defense of the gun makers. Of course the gun makers are involved in a legal manufacturing business versus all of the drug dealers and murderers the ACLU does defend. Time to rip the ACLU offices apart and see exactly what information that they have, who’s been giving it to them, and who they’ve been passing it to. Same thing applies to CAIR. They do NOT have a right to unauthorized access to classified documents. Obviously there was enough evidence to warrant a subpoena, there should be enough for a search warrant. Raid their offices, houses, cars and any storage facilities any and all employees at the office have. Seize all of their computer equipment for examination as well as all of their email records. Basically take everything to sort through and leave them with nothing but an empty office. Who knows we might actually save some innocent person’s life by disrupting their operations thoroughly enough.