Sources: NSA leak probe incl. Congress: FBI wants to interview top members

CNN: Sources: NSA leak probe includes Congress
Thursday, May 25, 2006

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI wants to interview top members of Congress from both parties about the leak to The New York Times concerning the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program, sources told CNN.

The Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call first reported that the FBI wanted to question federal legislators as part of its probe. The sources do not know if any members have been interviewed yet....

***

The New York Times in December reported the existence of the surveillance program, which allows phone calls between the United States and overseas to be monitored without a court warrant so long as one party is a terror suspect. It was authorized by President Bush shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Only a few members of the House and Senate were briefed on the NSA program before it became public.

One source with knowledge of the investigation said: "There is only a certain universe of people who had this information and could have leaked it. Obviously any investigation would focus on that universe. If members who had knowledge were not interviewed, then any investigation would not be complete."...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/25/fbi.nsa.leak/index.html

members were brief. That in no way sound like a full briefing.

because they changed the rules to define that as a full briefing.

Because it's s-e-c-r-e-t and obviously they don't trust Congress further than they can throw it.

FBI interviews of the speaker, senate majority leader, their minority counterparts, the intel committee heads and their minority counterparts, constitutes as far as the presidency can throw them.

And those would be the 8 who would be getting briefed, and sworn to secrecy if they want to get any info at all.

Now, you may ask, can Congress demand information that is classified that they don't have executive branch clearances for? Yes, but Congress, being a good 2nd branch of government, has created rules that make doing so off limits except in extremely special circumstances, such as a very rare closed session of the Senate. So, Congress has put itself at the mercy of the executive branch by subjecting itself to the authority of the President where classification is concerned.

These are the consequences.

called it a one way "conversation" (from WH to the gang).

Isn't this the FBI questioning members of Congress to see if any of them leaked to the newspapers?? And won't his fuel the separation of powers issue that came up after the raid on Jefferson's office.

Popcorn and beer are in order - let's see how Congress takes to being the victims of this administration now.

the government is spiraling into anarchy which is just what the whitehouse wanted but now even they can`t control it.this is really ugly.

with his investigative and enforcement authority.

It's not just the dems who are wearing pink tu-tu's. the entire house and senate have allowed thislfascism and now their own survival depends on outing the chimperor.

We'll see if they want to do their jobs now and stop the searching of their offices and the hunting of the leakers.

Are these people really this stupid that they didn't see this coming?

Many of us here at DU did.

Too bad they don't read us more often.

Bent over all you Congresscritter and Senator.
Go hide in corner with tails between leg till we call you.

there could be many "top members" as the repugs have taken over all the top jobs..

If this isn't their wake-up call, I don't know what is.

Tell him and his goons to go F**K themselves. Then they can get back to defending the Constitution after all these years.

WE will not be even contemplating any such thing.

WE are now setting up a REWARD fund to ENCOURAGE MORE PATRIOTIC CITIZENS TO COME FORWARD to expose repuke CRIMES.

In fact, WE will be sending out SUBPOENAS to YOU to find out the extent of YOUR crminal involvement shortly.

THAT should be the only reply.

Wishful thinking, I know.

Jefferson search and seizure are a big honking fire alarm. They had better grow or grab a set of 'nads becuse Bush is less than one ster away from making them irrelevant.