Lawmakers demand probe into Trump's secret surveillance of Americans
US lawmakers demand investigation into admin's secret surveillance of Americans
Two congressional Democrats, Ron Wyden and Pramila Jayapal, have asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate the Trump administration's use of an obscure customs law to secretly collect records on journalists, nonprofits, and unions without judicial oversight. The request follows revelations that Homeland Security Investigations issued administrative summonses to obtain phone records, financial data, and social media information, including a case where a judge had twice rejected a warrant. The lawmakers also urged changes to subpoena templates to protect recipients' right to notify targets.
Although large technology firms with sophisticated counsel sometimes ignore these extra-legal requests, many other businesses in heavily-regulated sectors – such as telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, automotive manufacturing, and banking – often comply out of fear of regulatory retaliation.