Judge Orders Justice Dept. to Answer on Wiretapping (Update1)
Feb. 16 (Bloomberg) -- A federal judge ordered the U.S. Justice Department to respond to a privacy rights group's request that the agency turn over internal documents on the Bush administration's domestic spying program.
U.S. District Judge Henry Kennedy Jr. of Washington gave the department 20 days to answer the Freedom of Information Act request, filed in December by the Electronic Privacy Information Center. The group sued last month after the Justice Department failed to meet a 20-day deadline imposed by the act.
President George W. Bush confirmed the existence of the classified program in December, saying the eavesdropping without a court-approved warrant is an important tool in the war against terrorism. While Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has defended the legality of the spying in speeches and at a congressional hearing, details of how the program works remain secret.
``President Bush has invited meaningful debate about the warrantless surveillance program,'' Kennedy wrote today in a 19- page order granting the center's motion for a preliminary injunction. ``That can only occur if DOJ processes its FOIA requests in a timely fashion and releases the information sought.''
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http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=a0xneF9hkOyc
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