Washington,
Oct 19, 2007 -
Today Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) responded to yesterday’s Senate Intelligence Committee vote to immunize telecommunications companies from civil lawsuits for tapping Americans’ phones and computer without court approval.
“I object to any immunity for telecommunications companies and demand a full accounting of these companies’ involvement to Congress and to the American public,” Kucinich said. “When corporations cooperate with the government to strip people of their Constitutional rights, that is a text book description of fascism. There must not be any place in America for this type of conduct.”
Kucinich sent letters to the Chairmen and CEOs of the nation’s largest telecommunications companies in May 2006, demanding they reveal to Congress their dealings with the National Security Agency (NSA).
The letters sent to the heads of Verizon, Qwest, BellSouth and AT&T specifically ask if NSA employees forced telecommunications companies, through coercion, to comply with the NSA illegal domestic spying program.
“It is imperative the telecommunications companies reveal everything they and their employees know about this illegal request,” Kucinich stated in the letter. “You have a responsibility to safeguard our democracy by revealing potentially illegal activities of the NSA to Congress.
“In light of these allegations, I urge you to reveal to Congress the nature of (your) discussions with NSA. Specifically, did any NSA official make coercive statements to any of your employees? Did the NSA make any legal arguments for their request of this information? And did the NSA suggest it was your company’s patriotic duty to adhere to such a request?” Kucinich also asked in the letter.
“Why should telecommunications companies be held above the law? If we permit our constitutional rights to be watered down out of fear, we have given up important foundations of our democracy. Congress must stand firm and defend the Constitution,” Kucinich said.
“I want to get to the bottom of this Administration’s aggressive abuse on Americans’ civil liberties.”
