7 Ways To Reform The Obviously Corrupt FISA Surveillance System

[mystery-ak]

 7 Ways To Reform The Obviously Corrupt FISA Surveillance System

The FISC this week ordered the FBI to advise the court of what steps FBI will take to ensure their abuses are not repeated. That should just be a start.

By Leslie McAdoo Gordon
December 19, 2019

The shocking revelations in the Department of Justice inspector general’s report of December 9, 2019 about how the FBI investigated and electronically surveilled four American citizens associated with the 2016 Republican presidential campaign demonstrate that reform is urgently needed.

These revelations included that an FBI lawyer doctored a document used to support a warrant application under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and that exculpatory evidence was withheld from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC). While some will call for abolishing FISA, it remains essential to protect Americans from terrorism. The true task is to reform the processes of FISA investigations to also ensure Americans’ civil liberties.

more
https://thefederalist.com/2019/12/19/7-ways-to-reform-the-obviously-corrupt-fisa-surveillance-system/

[PeteS in CA]

From the article:

1. No Investigating Candidates Without DOJ Approval
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2. Overhaul the Verification Process
Second, FBI’s verification process for FISA warrants must be overhauled. IG Horowitz also found that the FBI interprets its “Woods” process not to require verification of the facts alleged in a FISA warrant application, but only that FBI must “verify” that it was told those facts by a source. This is a jaw-dropping interpretation for verification of the contents of any court filing, much less a filing in the secret surveillance court.
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3. Strengthen Civil Liberties Protections
Third, Congress needs to strengthen the civil liberties protections in the FISA statute to require that FISA warrants may only be obtained on U.S. persons upon a showing that the person is both the agent of a foreign power and in that capacity is engaged in conduct that violates U.S. law. ...
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4. Require Better Reporting to Congress
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5. Require Disclosures of Exculpatory Evidence
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6. Develop Discipline for Abusive Officials
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7. Institute Defenders of the Accused’s Rights

Suggestions 5, 6, and 7 are critical, especially #6. The documented abuses in the Carter Page fiasco were not accidents. They were the intentional acts of people determined to bend FISA to their political purposes. Unless there are severe consequences for abuses, political operatives will eagerly find ways to circumvent the rules.