A pair of Democrat Senators have alerted the Senate to a CIA program that has amassed a treasure trove of secret data on American citizens — an act that would violate American laws.
In a letter sent to the CIA, the senators allege that the agency has concealed details about the intel collection program from both the public and the legislative branch, the Associated Press reported.
Per Just the News:
Sens. Ron Wyden, of Oregon, and Martin Heinrich, of New Mexico, called for a declassification of the program, though significant parts of their letter, sent in April 2021, were redacted.
The lawmakers say they think the program operated “outside the statutory framework that Congress and the public believe govern this collection.”
Though the CIA, the country’s top spy operation and the National Security Agency, are typically barred from monitoring U.S. citizens and businesses, the agencies’ focus on foreign communications sometimes encapsulates messages and data incidentally belonging to Americans.
The CIA’s privacy and civil liberties officer, Kristi Scott, said the agency “recognizes and takes very seriously our obligation to respect the privacy and civil liberties of U.S. persons in the conduct of our vital national security mission. CIA is committed to transparency consistent with our obligation to protect intelligence sources and methods.”
By U.S. law, the CIA is supposed to only operate against foreign enemies, and is not allowed to gather intelligence on Americans living here in our country.
The CIA has always denied spying on Americans, but the agency has also been caught doing so time and again.
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Tags: CIA crime Spying
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