Sr NSA Executive: NSA Started Spying On Journalists in 02 … In Order to Make Sure They Didn’t Report
Senior NSA Executive: NSA Started Spying On Journalists in 2002 … In Order to Make Sure They Didn’t Report On Mass Surveillance
THOMAS DRAKE: Part of what I discovered is that part of the surveillance system, part of the Stellar Wind system – and that’s an umbrella term in itself – there were offshoots of that.
It metastasized. It grew like a cancer on the body politic.
One of the things that was done was (along the lines of): “You know what? We’ve got to make sure” (because they were paranoid) “we’ve got to make sure that this stuff doesn’t get out … oh yeah, the press. Let’s violate the Fourth Amendment and just monitor the press.”
The whole story of that has not come out.
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There was a program called “First Fruits”. They’ve no doubt changed the name of the program [since then.]
And that First Fruits program was a cutout which was designed from all of the domestic surveillance take. “Let’s just pipe off from all” that is involving designated (reporters) … or in some cases whole groups of reporters and journalists:
And you’re monitoring – on a persistent basis – their communications.
WASHINGTON’S BLOG: How early did that start?
THOMAS DRAKE: The preliminary version of that – as far as an active program – was in 2002.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/06/senior-nsa-manager-agency-started-spying-reporters-wait-make-sure-didnt-report-nsas-mass-surveillance.html
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Where is the harm in that? 
Besides, the NSA loves you,
and only wants what is best for you.
