Senators Say Administration Is Holding Back a Secret Surveillance Court Ruling
Lawmakers want to know why a ruling on how analysts search Americans' communications has not been released before Section 702 is reconsidered.
Senators Ron Wyden and Adam Schiff say the administration is holding back a secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ruling from Congress while lawmakers consider renewing Section 702, which lapsed in June. The court objected to filtering tools that let intelligence analysts pull Americans' communications from intercepted data without required approvals and records, yet still approved another year of collection in March. The administration's own 180-day window for reviewing the ruling for release closed on September 13, and the senators have demanded an explanation and the names of responsible officials by November 6. Civil liberties groups have urged leaders not to reauthorize the program until the information is released, and Attorney General Todd Blanche previously said in writing that he would declassify the ruling by the deadline.
Why it matters
The dispute goes to how much oversight Congress and the public get over surveillance that can reach Americans' own messages. The court objected to search filters that let analysts pull those messages without the approvals and records the rules require, yet still approved another year of collection. The administration's own 180-day review window for releasing such rulings has passed, and the attorney general had said in writing that he would declassify it. Until the ruling is public, lawmakers weighing whether to renew the program are doing so without the court's full reasoning on these problems.
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