Representatives renew demand for briefing on Yahoo email searches after inadequate response from administration

Representatives renew demand for briefing on Yahoo email searches after inadequate response from administration

Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence ignore briefing request

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), and dozens of their colleagues today responded to a letter from Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper that failed to address a bipartisan request for a briefing to resolve questions raised by recent reports that Yahoo had searched all its users’ incoming emails at the federal government’s request.

On October 14, 2016, Amash and Lieu led a bipartisan coalition of 48 representatives on a letter requesting information and a briefing for all members of Congress. In response, representatives of the Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence wrote that a briefing was to be provided only to certain committee staff.

The new letter is attached.

“The administration’s flippant response to a bipartisan request from members of Congress is unacceptable,” said Amash. “When elected representatives ask to be briefed on a matter that may impact Americans’ constitutionally protected rights, we expect action.”

In addition to Amash and Lieu, the letter was signed by Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Donna F. Edwards (D-Md.), Raúl R. Labrador (R-Idaho), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.), Cynthia M. Lummis (R-Wyo.), Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.), Randy Weber (R-Texas), Rod Blum (R-Iowa), H. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Mark Sanford (R-S.C.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), John Fleming, M.D. (R-La.), Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Dave Brat (R-Va.), Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (R-Ariz.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Andy Harris (R-Md.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Jared Polis (D-Calif.), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Wis.), Curt Clawson (R-Fla.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Ted Poe (R-Texas), James P. McGovern (D-Mass.), Joe Barton (R-Texas), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), Michael M. Honda (D-Calif.), Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.), Scott Garrett (R-N.J.), Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Suzan K. DelBene (D-Wash.), Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), and Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.).

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