Rand Paul to sue Obama administration over NSA
(CNN) - Sen. Rand Paul will sue President Barack Obama and top officials in the National Security Agency over surveillance.
Paul's political action committee, RandPAC, announced plans by the Kentucky senator and potential 2016 presidential candidate to file a class-action challenge on Wednesday.
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker']
The suit also will name National Intelligence Director James Clapper, outgoing NSA Director Keith Alexander, and FBI Director James Comey.
A firebrand in the Republican Party whose brand of conservatism embraces Libertarian ideals, Paul is an ardent critic of U.S. surveillance programs, which he says infringe on basic civil liberties under the Constitution.
"The Bill of Rights protects all citizens from general warrants. I expect this case to go all the way to the Supreme Court and I predict the American people will win," Paul said in a statement.
Ken Cuccinelli, a former Republican attorney general in Virginia who lost the state’s gubernatorial election last fall, will serve as lead counsel.
Matt Kibbe, president of the tea party-aligned group FreedomWorks, also joined the lawsuit, saying any American with a phone should be invested in his case.
"This class action suit isn't about Republican versus Democrat, or progressive versus conservative. This is about defending the basic civil liberties of every American from a government that has crossed the line," he said. "Never in American history has there been such a warrantless gathering of citizens information. We believe it is time to put this before the courts."
National security leaks about bulk NSA collection of telephone and e-mail data exposed by former agency contractor Edward Snowden last year outraged libertarians, privacy advocates and many members of Congress from both sides of the aisle.
They considered it government overreach in the fight against terrorism.
Obama has defended the programs, but announced modest reforms to NSA's practices.
In a speech at the Justice Department last month, Obama revealed new guidance for intelligence-gathering as well as changes intended to balance what he called the nation's vital security needs with concerns over privacy and civil liberties.
Paul joins a number of anti-NSA activists who are unsatisfied with the proposed changes.
CNN's Alison Harding contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
- Warnock's seat comes into focus amid battle over voting laws and filibuster rules March 23, 2021 03:06 am
- White House aides prep $3 trillion jobs package for Biden March 23, 2021 02:30 am
- Biden administration continues to deny journalists access to border facilities March 23, 2021 02:28 am
- Arguing against statehood for DC, congressman says it has no car dealerships (it does) March 23, 2021 02:23 am
- Former Capitol riot prosecutor's comments on Trump alarm new no-drama Justice Department March 23, 2021 02:16 am
- Biden administration not confident Johnson & Johnson will meet 20 million goal by end of month March 23, 2021 01:52 am
"This is about defending the basic civil liberties of every American from a government that has crossed the line."
Spot on, it puzzles me how some people don't get this.
The Cooch is back! I wonder how much longer the majority of republicans are going to tolerate Rand's stupidity.
Ahhh yes the wackos trying to get the really "wacko birds" vote. Look, if they ease up on the wire tapping and someone attacks the US then the wackos on the right will blame the admin for not doing enough. Take all my phone records you want I have nothing to hide.
"I predict the American people will win."
Depends how many justices are being blackmailed.
This clown just don't get it. He's acting like someone out here really cares what he does. He's a fool, and needs to be recalled.
Must be a slow week for the GOP's Religious Right. Usually their targets are women, children, the elderly, the unemployed, families on food stamps or immigrants. Do what you want, but our President's no push-over Mr. Paul!
Good luck, Obammy will just lie more to cover his lameo backside!!!
Sue patriotic Act too. You don't have any locus STANDI in suit, idiot. They dismiss the suit.
And when the next terrorist attack happens, Rand and the tea party people will sue the government because they didn't know ahead of time when and where the attack was going to take place and warn everybody. These people are nuts!
ObamaLies:
"You can keep you policy. Period."
"We don’t have a domestic spying program"
"There is no spying on Americans"
"“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
ObamaBots are content to let Barack destroy this once great country.
It should take a Federal District Court (even in Kentucky) about five minutes to deal with this. I thought that Republicans disapproved of frivolous law suits.
Paul wants to sue the Administration because the IRS has been doing its job – don't think that will go too far. The IRS is expected to review organizations for using the appropriate IRS code when they file for tax exemption. There were many new Tea Party organizations that filed as 501.c.4 in order to avoid reporting requirements of political organizations. There were other organizations that filed under incorrect codes too but there were so many new Tea Party groups that, naturally, there would have been more of them that required corrections. I think it's astonishing that the Republican Party is actually disappointed that the IRS has been doing its job. Tea Party groups simply need to file under the correct code for their political activities and follow the rules for such organizations when it comes to reporting funds received and funds distributed. Issa looked pretty foolish during hearings on the topic and dropped it suddenly like a hot potato when the public began to realize the problem was not with the IRS but with the Tea Party.
Whaaat..... a wack-a-duddle!
Good luck dude! You might as well sue Bush for the patriot act that made this happen....
Hes just looking for votes.
Blame it on Obama. You notice it is a problem now not when the GOP used it.
Blame it on Obama, the GOP play book. They must be worried they know where they are stashing the money they took.
We'll just add that to the 24 billion. The American People will win when you are out of politics. Only a few RWNJ's think you are helping Americans.
Now under the Obammy admin there are crack pipe vending machines, Hope and Change, what a total disaster this admin has been
Is suing the Reagan administration and Bush administration since they started and continued the program!!! What a hypocrit
I think there's a book, The Sovereign Citizen: Denaturalization and the Origins of the American Republic, that talks about a 30 year battle on this. The Warren Court's eventual decision to uphold the sovereignty of the citizen—not the state—secures our national order to this day.
Is this the filibuster man, what waste, he should stick his head back in the sand
sometimes i wonder if this government is even ours.
I wonder what kind of president Mr Paul would make. lesson Paul if it wasn't government where would black and brown people be in America right now. how many attacks would America be going through if we left the gates open for every terrorist to come through. lessen Paul believing in something is less complicated than going through the vigors of making it work. We live in rational world which takes rational solutions. Always remember that nothing in this world is free, somebody has to pay.
If Rand Paul really wanted to win this lawsuit he would have hired a more competent attorney
Class actions suits only benefit the attorneys who rake in the millions. Go ahead with another stunt Rand and keep trying to go after President Bill Clinton who still has a high approval rating. Just someone trying to get into the news.