Prosecutors will say in secret whether they used controversial spying tool against neo-Nazi accused

[Timber Rattler]

https://news.yahoo.com/news/prosecutors-secret-whether-used-controversial-212800064.html

Federal prosecutors said they are willing to disclose whether they used a controversial surveillance program to foil a Florida neo-Nazi leader’s alleged plot to attack Baltimore’s power grid last year, but will only do so in secret, during a classified meeting with the judge handling the case.

Government lawyers refused Thursday to disclose publicly whether they used Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to build the case against the accused plotter, Brandon C. Russell, but agreed to a private meeting with Senior U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar where they will provide more information.

Russell’s defense team remains skeptical. After Thursday’s hearing, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who recently joined the case said the government has a history of using a narrow interpretation of the law to avoid disclosing uses of FISA in prosecutions.

Russell, 28, is accused of plotting with a Catonsville woman, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, to destroy multiple electrical substations in the Baltimore region. The pair allegedly hoped to cause a “cascading failure” of the power grid by targeting energy facilities in Norrisville, Perry Hall, Reisterstown and other areas around Baltimore.

EXCERPT

All kinds of problems with this case, starting with disguised witnesses using pseudo-names and ending with conferences between the judge and prosectuors that excluded the defense attorneys.

[Fishrrman]

Paging Mr. Snowden... your services required... please pick up the nearest courtesy phone...