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Homeland Security Shuts Down 'Intelligence' Reports on Journalists:
The acting secretary of homeland security said on Friday that he had shut down an intelligence examination of the work of reporters covering the government's response to protests in Portland, Ore., beginning an investigation into what he suggested was an infringement on First Amendment rights.
[...] The acting secretary, Chad F. Wolf, "is committed to ensuring that all D.H.S. personnel uphold the principles of professionalism, impartiality and respect for civil rights and civil liberties, particularly as it relates to the exercise of First Amendment rights," said Alexei Woltornist, the department's spokesman.
The intelligence office issued three "open-source intelligence reports" in the past week that summarized the Twitter posts of a Times reporter and the editor in chief for the blog Lawfare, noting that they had published leaked unclassified documents.
Mr. Wolf ordered the intelligence arm to "immediately discontinue collecting information involving members of the press" once he found out about the practice, Mr. Woltornist said.
[...] "The Department of Homeland Security has acknowledged that its intelligence reporting system, designed to combat terrorism, has instead been misused to target journalists who were reporting on the controversial activities of federal law enforcement officers," she said in a statement. "It is imperative that D.H.S.'s investigation determines how this happened and ensures it does not happen again."
[...] "If you're allowed to do this, what else are you allowed to do? If you're allowed to keep tabs on and file reports about my social media," he added, "are you allowed to gather all the other public record material that exists about me and create a dossier?"
The American Civil Liberties Union denounced the agency's actions on Friday, saying they were part of a larger pattern.
"Under Wolf's leadership, D.H.S. was caught just last year unconstitutionally targeting and building dossiers on journalists reporting on conditions at the border," the group's senior legislative counsel, Neema Signh Guliani, said in a statement. "For weeks, D.H.S. agents have been deliberately and brutally attacking journalists covering the Portland protests. And documents show that D.H.S. intelligence arm appears to be claiming authority it does not have. This administration's assault on the First Amendment continues to escalate."
(Score: -1, Informative) by NPC-131072 on Monday August 03 2020, @09:26PM (13 children)
We'll never get justice for Floyd Taylor [pacificpundit.com] like this. [rt.com] The DHS are a disgrace to George Kirby's name! [dailycaller.com]
Those of us on the morally superior left shouldn't rest until All Republican's Are Bastards is sprayed on every minority owned convenience store.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2020, @09:48PM
Didn't you get the memo? Minitrue says it actually was the morally inferior right attacking the federal facilities in Portland, spraypainting ACAB on trees and fighting it out against other fascist troops, while Democrat controlled state and local police forces took the high ground and refused to engage with them.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Monday August 03 2020, @11:08PM (1 child)
Yet another reason to get the career politicians out of Washington. Even with teleprompting, the senile sons of bitches can't get a household name right during a speech. Republicans and Dems alike, half of them are too senile to be in office. Schumer, Pelosi, Biden, and Ginsburg are the first to come to mind, but Trump ain't doing real well either. Mind if I have a cup of covfefe?
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @01:05AM
Understandable #trumpisnotwell [twitter.com]
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2020, @11:21PM (1 child)
Oh shiiiiit
The fascists realized they fucked up and are trying to backpedal. Poor trolls suckered once again by the obvious Republican 17D checkers.
Maybe next time NPC, maybe next time.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @10:01PM
Offtopic? Hmm, flamebait I could understand from the sensitive frozen conservative bodies, but offtopic? For shame!
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:08AM (6 children)
So the article is about how The Heimatschutz is breaking the law, but that's the Democrats fault, despite the fact the Republicans control the Federal government?
I wonder how you will feel when they start deciding who are RINOs and who are not quite loyal enough? I suppose you'll be ok, as long as you can recite the Oath of Allegiance properly. (Whatever that happens to say)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:15AM (4 children)
Did you read his RT link? Journalists don't require press credentials but one day soon they might - thanks "peaceful protestors"!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:30AM (3 children)
You know who runs rt.com don't you?
Did Pravda not run that story or something?
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:56AM (1 child)
“Individuals are abusing the TRO to masquerade as members of the press and evade lawful orders, or actively participating in protest activities and even illegal acts while holding themselves out to be members of the press under the protection of the TRO,” [nypost.com]
Criminals posing as the press will result in the exact state sanctioned credentials (and eventual control) you claim to be opposed to.
(Score: 4, Informative) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday August 04 2020, @03:27AM
The DOJ is making claims in your article, but the judge is not buying their bullshit.
They should try presenting evidence, I've heard that helps in court.
You should be careful of that William Barr, he won't rest until he has a (Republican) king in the White House.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:58AM
Reading cyrillic script is not very usual across the Anglosphere. That's why RT provide translations for their minions.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @01:18AM
Those [youtube.com] are not [twitter.com]
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @01:02AM
No, just pissing on a few persons is enough. Something like that: