Justice Dept. threatens to sue Maine to stop domestic spying lawsuit

[kpete]

Friday, August 4, 2006
U.S. threatens suit if Maine probes Verizon ties to NSA
By KEVIN WACK, Portland Press Herald Writer

The Bush administration is threatening to sue if Maine regulators decide to investigate whether Verizon Communications illegally turned over customer information to the National Security Agency.

Verizon customers in Maine have asked the state's Public Utilities Commission to investigate whether the telecom giant violated privacy laws by cooperating with a domestic surveillance program. The PUC is expected to decide Monday whether to open such a probe.

In a July 28 letter to the PUC, the U.S. Department of Justice cites national security as a key reason for its opposition to a state investigation. The seven-page letter suggests a lawsuit is likely if Maine regulators decide to investigate.

"We sincerely hope that, in light of governing law and the national security concerns implicated by the requests for information, you will decline to open an investigation and close these proceedings, thereby avoiding litigation over the matter," the letter reads.

more at:
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/060804verizon.shtml

[EFerrari]

1. Criminals.

:mad:

[DeepModem Mom]

2. K&R

[Horse with no Name]

3. They are nothing but a crimininal entity

If they were ordinary thugs, they would break kneecaps.

[dogday]

4. That should be interesting

and other states should take heed... No such thing as State's Rights anymore.....

[Hugin]

8. Maybe they should let the U.S. sue... There's much to be learned in the

Discovery phase.

[uppityperson]

5. The arrogance! Take away right to investigate if something is illegal?

wtf?

[Tsiyu]

6. What happened to all that "states' rights" rhetoric

the Repukes ran on?

Oh, yeah. The states can only make independent choices when they are denying someone their Constitutionally protected rights.

The Feds' ability to abridge rights trumps the states.'

[Hugin]

7. I guess they figure since the SCOTUS handed them the election in 2000...

This is a shoo-in as well.

Who was that guy who engineered the 'compromise' making all of this possible?

Extortion as a State sponsored policy tool? The current Administration never
ceases to amaze me.