Of course, any actual evidence is redacted, for national security reasons, and because apparently there are some disgruntled telecom stock-holders who happen to work for the federal government and don't want their stock holdings to lose value.
Federal prosecutors disputed charges by former telecommunications executive Joseph Nacchio that his company lost lucrative government contracts after he refused to cooperate with National Security Agency requests.
Mr. Nacchio, former chief executive of Qwest Communications International Inc., made the allegations in recently unsealed documents filed as part of his request for a new trial following his conviction on insider-trading charges. Mr. Nacchio claims he refused to cooperate with what the documents call "improper government requests" in February 2001.
The competing court filings by Mr. Nacchio and the government don't elaborate on what NSA requests are at issue; large sections of the documents are blacked out to protect what the government says are state secrets. Mr. Nacchio has said in the past that he didn't comply when asked by the NSA for access to private phone records of Qwest customers. The NSA request is believed to be part of a warrantless wiretapping program, since discontinued, which has become the subject of political tug-of-war between the White House and Congress, with telecom providers in the middle.
Mr. Nacchio's claim prompted criticism from lawmakers, in part because the Bush administration has said the NSA's program was authorized after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. He claims the NSA approached Qwest for assistance before that.
[From U.S. Answers Nacchio - WSJ.com]
I still don't understand why Congress is even considering expanding FISA without getting more details from the White House: part of genius of the U.S. Constitution is that Congress is part of the governing process, allegedly representing the will of the governed. If the White House circumvents the Congress, we are just a tin-pot dictatorship, or worse. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid should resign their ineffectual Democratic Party leadership roles, and allow a non-enabling Democrat to take over.
The administration has balked at giving Congress documents detailing the legal justifications for the NSA program, and says that the secrecy is necessary to protect national security.
Disgusting. Misleading Congress is an impeachable offense.
