DOJ Asked For News Site's Visitor's Lists [Archive]

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Hey Paula

11-10-2009, 06:08 PM

EXCERPT:

The subpoena (PDF) from U.S. Attorney Tim Morrison in Indianapolis demanded "all IP traffic to and from www.indymedia.us" on June 25, 2008. It instructed Clair to "include IP addresses, times, and any other identifying information," including e-mail addresses, physical addresses, registered accounts, and Indymedia readers' Social Security Numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and so on.

"I didn't think anything we were doing was worthy of any (federal) attention," Clair said in a telephone interview with CBSNews.com on Monday. After talking to other Indymedia volunteers, Clair ended up calling the Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco, which represented her at no cost.

Under long-standing Justice Department guidelines, subpoenas to members of the news media are supposed to receive special treatment. One portion of the guidelines, for instance, says that "no subpoena may be issued to any member of the news media" without "the express authorization of the attorney general" – that would be current attorney general Eric Holder – and subpoenas should be "directed at material information regarding a limited subject matter."

Still unclear is what criminal investigation U.S. Attorney Morrison was pursuing. Last Friday, a spokeswoman initially promised a response, but Morrison sent e-mail on Monday evening saying: "We have no comment." The Justice Department in Washington, D.C. also declined to respond.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/09/taking_liberties/entry5595506.shtml?tag=mncol;txt

ninetoes

11-10-2009, 06:15 PM

I read about this earlier, but was quite sure it wouldnt be viewed as being "news", so didnt post about it. Im waiting to see if www.indie was the only site that received such a subpoena.

ninetoes

11-10-2009, 06:34 PM

I'd like to see what the original investigation was all about, but it doesn't seem they want to divulge that information.

I dont think we will ever know what they were looking for. I have a feeling this will be one of those things that just goes quietly away.

Lifeguard

11-10-2009, 06:55 PM

snookums1

11-11-2009, 02:34 PM

The subpoena (PDF) from U.S. Attorney Tim Morrison in Indianapolis demanded "all IP traffic to and from www.indymedia.us" on June 25, 2008. It instructed Clair to "include IP addresses, times, and any other identifying information," including e-mail addresses, physical addresses, registered accounts, and Indymedia readers' Social Security Numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and so on.
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/09/taking_liberties/entry5595506.shtml?tag=contentMain

Seems he went over the acting Atty. General's head and had the subpeona issued in January.

ninetoes

11-11-2009, 02:45 PM

http://boards.insessiontrials.com/showthread.php?t=360559

snookums1

11-11-2009, 04:59 PM

I am betting this has something to do with threats against the lives of the Pres, VP, Speaker, or some other person in government.

Lots of people out there, lots of opportunities to threaten someone in government now with the "internets".

I am sure news organizations cooperate with the FBI and other posting places. Our current President has escalated the number of threats against him, just because he's not white and not conservative. Actually the date in question was in 2008. And the only thing I could find for that date was that was the day Dodd tried to filibuster a bill in the Senate. It was long before the election, Bush was still president and Tim Morrison was one of his appointees. And the fact that he did it just after the inauguration and went over the acting Atty. General's head and without approval of same, says to me it had nothing to do with threats against Obama or anyone else in this administration.

Lifeguard

11-11-2009, 05:56 PM

Actually the date in question was in 2008. And the only thing I could find for that date was that was the day Dodd tried to filibuster a bill in the Senate. It was long before the election, Bush was still president and Tim Morrison was one of his appointees. And the fact that he did it just after the inauguration and went over the acting Atty. General's head and without approval of same, says to me it had nothing to do with threats against Obama or anyone else in this administration.

Thanks for the clarification, I must have mis-read the date of this. Interesting about the timing of this. It sure is a mystery.

snookums1

11-11-2009, 06:10 PM

Thanks for the clarification, I must have mis-read the date of this. Interesting about the timing of this. It sure is a mystery. Yes it is. But I am glad that instead of caving and supplying all that info, the site contacted a lawyer. Bank statements and SS numbers just for going to the site? That to me is totally wrong.

Lifeguard

11-11-2009, 06:12 PM

Yes it is. But I am glad that instead of caving and supplying all that info, the site contacted a lawyer. Bank statements and SS numbers just for going to the site? That to me is totally wrong.

Well, of course, it's totally wrong! And most sites do not maintain any information about their subscribers, certainly NOT SS numbers, but maybe credit card numbers, a way to get to a SS number.