DOJ Dread Exposed-Destruction of AT&T-Potential Plaintiffs May Include EVERY American With A Phone

[kpete]

Potential plaintiffs may include every American with a phone or a web connection

September 17, 2007: Bush installs one of AT&T's former key attorneys, Peter Keisler, as acting Attorney General. Keisler has government experience thwarting cases against big Corporations:

Keisler was one of the three political appointees fingered by a career prosecutor who claimed they repeatedly ordered her to take steps that weakened the government's racketeering case against tobacco companies.

Coming Soon, Fall 2007: Bush plans to seek legislative immunity For TelCo action in Warrantless Surveillance.

The Bush administration is urging Congress to pass a law that would halt dozens of lawsuits charging phone companies with invading ordinary citizens' privacy through a post-Sept. 11 warrantless surveillance program.

Summary

I think it reasonable to consider that because the Administration is so keen on including AT&T representation in the highest levels of government (AT&T Lobbyist Gillespie as WH counsel and political director, AT&T Lawyer Keisler as acting AG), is committed to absolute "secrecy" about every aspect of Warrantless Surveillance cases now in court, and is committing to an upcoming legislative battle to immunize AT&T and other TelCos from liability, then it likely means that the potential liability is so big that it could potentially destroy any company that was exposed.

...................

It certainly appears that TelCo protection is driving his legislative and appointment priorities, and as emptywheel noted at TNH, the unexpected, stealthy switch of former AT&T lawyer Peter Keisler for Paul Clement punctuates the suspicion. Certainly congress needs to investigate these developments in detail and should absolutely not provide TelCo immunity until wrongdoing at the DOJ has been explored fully. We should continue to support congressional investigations and urge for a Special Prosecutor with a broad mandate to investigate prosecutor firings, Hatch Act violations, politicization of prosecutions, and reauthorization of the Warrantless Wiretapping Program despite OLC and DOJ refusal to approve the program. This mandate should also include exploration of the relationship between AT&T and this Administration in light of the Warrantless Surveillance Program and the recent developments in response to the implosion of the DOJ.

more at:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/18/52219/1207
and:
http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the_next_hurrah/2007/09/the-united-stat.html#more

[unhappycamper]

1. I posted about this in May 2006.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/unhappycamper/4

[EST]

3. I missed your post the first time around.

Thanks for pointing it out. One hell of a lot of good information in there.

[lonestarnot]

2. An indication that people have given up hope is that so little attention is being paid to this.

[Bonobo]

7. That is precisely correct. A loss of hope and a loss of the expectation that

things should be different or could be different. Same as the tazer/torture incident. We now accept easily what was once unthinkable.

[formercia]

4. We hear you.

The old AT&T slogan still rings true.

[Richard Steele]

5. K&R

[L. Coyote]

6. MY INFORMANT: They routed all communications in the US overseas to bypass the law

and the Constitution. All communications! And, once outside the US, US law and the Constitution do not apply, so they did whatever they wanted. That, most likely, included eavesdropping on all politicians during the campaign season in 2004. Also, things like insider stock trading would have been facilitated.

All those communications may still be in storage off-shore somewhere, and they continue to be mined in all likelihood.

[Buttercup McToots]

10. Double Bingo!!

:nuke:

[bleever]

11. I suspected this from the beginning.

Thank you.

[hootinholler]

8. We'll see. Could that be a strategery by shrub?

Appoint an interim that's less acceptable than the nominee? Make it painful to use confirmation as leverage to get documents?

I doubt this will make the media in any significant way.

-Hoot

[Buttercup McToots]

9. Bingo!

:)

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

12. I was getting

harassing phone calls and had my provider put a trace on my line. These people were calling several times an hour and saying nothing. Sometimes they would call for days at a time. The trace was successful only I was not able to prosecute. Why?
The calls were coming from a Corporation. Who? ATT.
The police dept. did give me the number where the calls were originating but if you didn't know your party's extention.....

[DemReadingDU]

13. afternoon kick

[stillcool]

14. thanks Kpete...

I for one, hadn't seen this...K&R

[fenriswolf]

15. LOL

lol kinda funny. I just got a new job and guess who its with.