Legal Commentary

Feingold Criticizes Obama, Urges State Secrets Legislation

By Big Tent Democrat

Via Glenn Greenwald, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) says:

I am troubled that once again the Obama administration has decided to invoke the state secrets privilege in a case challenging the previous administration’s alleged misconduct. The Obama administration’s action, on top of Congress’s mistaken decision last year to give immunity to the telecommunications companies that allegedly participated in the warrantless wiretapping program, will make it even harder for courts to rule on the legality of that program [the program is still ongoing]. . . . [T]here is an urgent need for legislation to give better guidance to the courts on how to handle assertions of the state secrets privilege. The American people must be able to have confidence that the privilege is not being used to shield government misconduct. That is why I am working with Senators Leahy, Specter, and others to pass the State Secrets Protection Act as soon as possible.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on April 10, 2009 (boomark / email).