Democrats urge Biden administration to stop searching journalists' phone records
By Jordan Williams - 05/18/21 12:42 PM EDT
Two Democratic lawmakers are urging the Justice Department to prohibit agency employees from obtaining journalists’ phone records to identify their sources.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland calling on him to end the practice of searching phone info on reporters.
“Simply put, the government should not collect journalists’ communications records unless it's investigating them for a crime or as part of an investigation into foreign espionage, in which case it should get a warrant,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter comes after The Washington Post reported that the Department of Justice (DOJ) under former President Trump tried to obtain phone records from several of its reporters investigating Russia’s efforts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election.
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https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/554115-democrats-urge-biden-administration-stop-searching-journalists-phone-records
