U.S. Justice department threatens to sue Maine over Verizon investigation

[rolanni]

U.S. threatens suit if Maine probes Verizon ties to NSA
By KEVIN WACK, Portland Press Herald Writer
Copyright © 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.


The Bush administration is threatening to sue if Maine regulators decide to investigate whether Verizon Communications illegally turned over customer information to the National Security Agency.

Verizon customers in Maine have asked the state's Public Utilities Commission to investigate whether the telecom giant violated privacy laws by cooperating with a domestic surveillance program. The PUC is expected to decide Monday whether to open such a probe.

In a July 28 letter to the PUC, the U.S. Department of Justice cites national security as a key reason for its opposition to a state investigation. The seven-page letter suggests a lawsuit is likely if Maine regulators decide to investigate.

"We sincerely hope that, in light of governing law and the national security concerns implicated by the requests for information, you will decline to open an investigation and close these proceedings, thereby avoiding litigation over the matter," the letter reads.

Read the rest of the story, oh, do.

Words cannot begin to express how sickenfugginTIRED I am of the Terror Card and those who play it and play it and play it in service of nothing but their desire to control, limit and contain the citizens of this country.

Comments

[farwing.livejournal.com]

Oh, yuck. What a bunch of nogoodnicks.

Mob rule

[kimuro.livejournal.com]

Sounds to me like the Bush government has gone into the protection racket in a major way. I hope that Maine will stand up to the thuggery - We as Americans cannot afford the slow erosion of freedom in the name of ... what? Peace? Being left alone?

Re: Mob rule

[storytellersjem.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear.

[saruby.livejournal.com]

I fear I am becoming immune to this sort of thing. I used to be furious and horrified, now I am just disgusted. The worst of it is, that at this point the desire to stop investigations has more to do with covering the administrations collective ass and nothing to do with national security. Somehow I don't equate protecting the government from lawsuits with protecting the country from terrorist attacks. In fact, at this point the government is practicing terrorism on the American people. Oh, I guess I am still furious.