Congressional Democrats Demand Investigation Into Trump Administration's Secret Surveillance of Americans
Source Summary
Two congressional Democrats, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon and Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington, requested that the Government Accountability Office investigate the Trump administration's use of administrative summonses to secretly collect records on journalists, non-profits, and unions without judicial oversight. The Department of Homeland Security reportedly used an obscure law related to customs matters to make extraordinary unilateral demands for information.
Why it matters
The investigation request highlights concerns about executive branch use of administrative powers to conduct surveillance on protected groups without judicial review, raising questions about constitutional safeguards.
What remains uncertain
The full scope and extent of the surveillance activities, as well as the specific legal basis and justification cited by the Trump administration for these actions, remain unclear pending the GAO investigation.
