Trump DOJ Obtained Data on Schiff and Swalwell, Two Long-Time Champions of Domestic Spying – Glenn Greenwald
The two House Democrats, among the most fanatical disseminators of baseless Russiagate conspiracies and long known to serve as anonymous sources of leaks to liberal media outlets, reacted with predictable outrage. This baseless investigation, while now closed, is yet another example of Trump’s corrupt weaponization of justice, Schiff intoned on Thursday night. As difficult as it is, Swalwell, as he often does, found a way to be even more melodramatic than Schiff: Like many of the world s most despicable dictators, former President Trump showed an utter disdain for our democracy and the rule of law.
Investigating possible crimes such as leaking classified information is the job of the Justice Department. To accomplish that, FBI agents and prosecutors often obtain personal communications records about their suspects. But invading the communications records of journalists, as both the Obama and Trump DOJ did, can create serious threats to press freedom and the possibility of abuse and retaliation. The same is true for invading the communications records of members of the legislative branch, particularly ones hostile to the president. An investigation is certainly warranted to determine the propriety of these subpoenas.
But like so many politicians before them, Schiff and Swalwell have zero credibility to object to this targeting. When it comes to ordinary Americans, both have been long-time champions of expanding domestic spying powers and blocking efforts at reform designed to curb abuses of the type they claim took place here.
This is a hard one to judge. Swalwell should obviously not be in Congress at all. Having an affair with a PRC/PLA operative would make you resign in shame in the UK or any other civilized nation. Here, it just gets you extra protection from Madame Speaker. Why, I don’t quite understand, though it makes one wonder just how much influence the PRC has. Schiff is an odious little worm even as politicians go, much given to lying about the Trump administration to the press, I gather. Still, you can’t have the DOJ illegally surveilling anybody. It’s hard to see how this will end up being anything but strictly political, however.