There is a major issue within the use of the FISA-702 authority that must be immediately understood. A silo problem that is not being discussed within Congress as the potential for FISA-702 reauthorization is looming.
I’m setting aside my opinion of the entire process in order to just outline the facts as they appear. I am not in support of any of this FISA process; nor do I support the baseline premise of the NSA database capturing the private electronic communication of Americans, which I do not believe is legislatively authorized to exist.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) recently released the 2023 FISC opinion on FISA-702 activity as reported by the NSA, FBI and to a lesser extent CIA and NCTC [REPORT HERE].
In this report, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) is reviewing legal compliance by the NSA and FBI in accessing the NSA database that houses the private electronic records, metadata, of every American. This is the core of the FISA-702 authorization, where 702 indicates an American citizen protected from illegal searches and seizures by the Fourth Amendment.
The NSA database contains the private electronic data (metadata) of every single American – including emails, text messages, social media posts, instant messages, direct messages, phone calls, geolocation identifiers, purchases by electronic funds, banking records and any keystroke any American person puts into any electronic device for any reason. [A big issue here is the use of Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) but that’s for a different article.]
The 2023 FISC report reviews the action of the FBI and NSA to ensure compliance with rules and restrictions in the search of this database.
The NSA and FBI report violations of the process to the FISA Court; this is somewhat of an honor system. You may have heard FBI Director Christopher Wray recently saying they have reduced the number of unauthorized searches of this database by 80%. The FBI has presumably tightened up the rules and restrictions on who and how this database can be searched.
The ODNI release only covers the compliance of the NSA and FBI (and the CIA and NCTC) to the FISA-702 rules. The CIA and NCTC are foreign mission authority only, therefore they should never even be involved in searching American citizens.
FISA-702 is not supposed to apply to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and/or National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), because they are not supposed to be looking at American citizen data directly. If the CIA or NCTC want to search the database for records of Americans, they are supposed to turn over their predicate intelligence (a foreign subject in contact with an American citizen, so they want depth on the American citizen) for determination by the FBI or NSA, who then conduct the search. At least that’s the way it’s supposed to work.
The FISC review covers the results of the NSA and FBI as reported to the FISA Court. The congressional oversight process looks at this FISC review as part of the reauthorization process. The FISC report is legislatively required to be conducted and released as part of this compliance review prior to Congress considering reauthorization. Congress may legislatively change the 702 rules prior to reauthorization or negate the 702 authorities completely, by not reauthorizing it.
Congress (House and Senate) weighs the FISC review heavily.
Here’s the issue. There are exponentially more violations taking place than are contained in the reporting from the NSA and FBI to the FISA Court. The FISC is only seeing one small part of the overall compliance picture. There are way more violations taking place than the court is aware of.
This is a silo issue, where the court is isolated in a silo without receiving information from the Dept of Justice (another silo). How do we know this?
Because the Dept of Justice Office of Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) reviews the entire U.S. government as part of the new, Trump initiated, OIG oversight of the DOJ National Security Division (DOJ-NSD).
Inspector General Michael Horowitz doesn’t just look at the FBI or NSA using the database; the OIG looks at the entire government and who has access to this NSA database to perform searches. There is a massive disparity between the number of unauthorized searches conducted and self-reported by the NSA and FBI silos, when compared to the whole of government. The FISA Court only hears about the NSA/FBI violations, not the unauthorized searches conducted outside the NSA/FBI by people who have access to this database.
How big is the disparity? HUGE!
Office of Inspector General Michael Horowitz testified April 27, 2023, that more than 3.4 million search queries into the NSA database took place between Dec. 1st, 2020 and Nov. 30th, 2021, by government officials and/or contractors working on behalf of the federal government. These search queries were based on authorizations related to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
Within his congressional testimony, OIG Horowitz stated, “Approximately 30% of those 3.4 million search queries were noncompliant,” that is outside the rules and regulations that govern warrantless searches. The government calls these “non-compliant searches.” Additionally, IG Horowitz also stated that somewhere north of “10,000 federal employees have access to conduct these searches of the NSA database.”
While DOJ-OIG Horowitz is looking at the entire government, he reports these violations only into the silo of the Dept of Justice. Horowitz does not report his findings to the FISA Court. The violations by Horowitz, in this example over a million illegal or “noncompliant” searches, is reported internally to the DOJ (Main Justice). The DOJ (an information silo) does not turn these findings over to the FISA Court (another information silo).
As a result, the FISC opinion of the database compliance audit is only reached with a limited perspective on the totality of the violations taking place within government.
As a result, the FISC report does not contain discussion of the violations discovered by IG Horowitz.
As a result, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) do not debate the FISA-702 reauthorization with the fulsome scale of the jaw dropping abuse of the database outlined by IG Michael Horowitz. FISA-702 reauthorization is debated in congress based on the 2023 FISC report which does not include the Horowitz review.
The 2023 FISC report is a compliance review of a very limited subset of database search queries, and only includes those done by the NSA and FBI.
Why is this only just now coming to light?
Simple answer, despite the DOJ National Security Department creation in the first year of President Obama’s term (2009 by AG Eric Holder), the Inspector General was never permitted oversight.
Despite his requests, the IG office was blocked by the DOJ-NSD for the entire Obama term in office. In 2015 the OIG again requested oversight, and it was Sally Yates who responded with a lengthy 58-page legal explanation saying essentially, ‘nope – not allowed.’ (PDF HERE) All of the DOJ is subject to oversight – except the NSD. The claimed justification was “national security,” and the information was too sensitive.
It was not until 2017, when President Trump and AG Jeff Sessions took office, that IG Michael Horowitz was granted oversight into the DOJ-NSD. With this oversight authority Horowitz first started his review of the FISA application used against Carter Page (2017/2018). Then, using the problems discovered within the Page FISA application, the IG expanded the review to the entire FISA application process in the entire DOJ (2019). The initial review of the process was horrible {SEE HERE} resulting in a major report of criticism [SEE HERE] in late 2021.
From there, in late 2021 IG Horowitz began the very first compliance review, outside of the limitations of the NSA/FBI self-reporting, and looked at the totality of the FISA-702 process as it was used to access the database from December 2020 to December 2021. His first full report was generated only a few months ago, and the IG testified to Congress. [LINK]
None of the FISA-702 reauthorizations, that have taken place between origination to today, have ever included a review of the entire government access, until Horowitz testified in late April.
More than 3.4 million search queries into the NSA database took place between Dec. 1st, 2020, and Nov. 30th, 2021, by government officials and/or contractors working on behalf of the federal government. This number is much, much larger than the search queries produced by NSA/FBI review to the FISA Court.
Additionally, as noted by IG Horowitz around 10,000 federal employees have access to conduct these searches of the NSA database, and his review of the searches revealed that 30% of them, that’s over a million, were noncompliant.
ACTION: At the very least, we immediately need to contact our congressional representatives and senators and inform them the FISA-702 reauthorization cannot be appropriately debated, considered or reviewed, without the FISA Court first receiving the information from the DOJ Inspector General review of the FISA-702 process. No FISC opinion is worth anything when it is based on a minimal subset of the actual violations that factually take place. This is at a minimum!
The FISC silo must receive the violation information from the silo at the DOJ.
I’ll have more on this, but for now this point is super important.
Our government is no longer Of the People, For the People, and By the People. We are being ruled and not governed. Hence, these type of actions by those not elected into their powerful positions will continue to ensure that those who break the law are never held accountable.
UNLESS and UNTIL they are made afraid of the people, again.
Gemstone —
Daily, treepers (INCLUDING ME) keep repeating the same mantra over and over and over…
Unelected people are in control.
The people have no control.
Votes don’t count.
Law breakers remain free.
Patriots are vilified.
I am a realist. I don’t want to be a defeatist. Let’s share more concrete suggestions on ways to counter (on any level) the administrative oligarchs’ plans.
Ditto. Realist here, 2!
Fine. Go here and do this! If you want the Republic, restore the Republic.
The American States Assembly (americanstatenationals.org)
Article 1 section 8 clause 15, 16 — uphold the laws of the union… check it out. Do that!
Lorrie…: One suggestion that I offer is to live by your principles and be an example for others who wish to follow, starting with your family members, especially the young ones. The little things matter:
-Take personal responsibility
-Fly an American flag
-Keep your property and sidewalk clean
-Maintain your property in good working condition
-Partronize businesses that reflect your values
-Reject and correct behaviors that offend your principles
-Constantly improve your knowledge and readiness
-Be prepared to protect and sustain life under pressing circumstances
-Practice situational awareness at all times
-Never let people get away with objectionable behavior (especially politicians)
If you can be proud of your own behavior, other people will take notice, starting with your immediate family members, your young nieces and nephews, your friends, your colleagues, your neighbors…and on it goes from there. Don’t wait for answers. Be the answer.
Valid points. It’s very easy to criticize others but much harder to see -no less correct- our own serious flaws.
Peeling ourselves away from their Matrix is the *only* way to gain attention to our quest for freedom and national sovereignty. Nothing less will do.
I would suggest we narrow our focus to one piece at a time, for maximum effect. FAUX News should be history by now. That’s a no-brainer.
At the same time we MAGA folk should prop up the few lone voices in the wilderness, like that My Pillow guy and Goya, to re-train the current corporate reward system to one of MAGA priorities.
Fly a flag at your own peril.
👍♥️🇺🇲
The first is to realize our problem, which you summarized so well. So one key is to continue spreading our message. One positive we have is numbers and the more people we can influence the better. Make opportunities that fit your capabilities. For example, one way is to talk to people and suggest articles. But other good ideas are spreading post-it notes with something like “Trump won” or joining car or boat parades. I think joining with others is best (less chance of problems and you will reach more people) but do what works for you.
My view is we are living in chaos and no one can jump in to say “do this and all will be well” (though we may someday reach that point). But we can respond to specific calls to action coming from others, for example Sundance’s call to action in another post today. Listening to War Room is another way to learn about specific calls to action. Also when someone like Gaetz or Luna take action, email them to show support and email their enemies in Congress to tell them they should being the same. Also take advantage of events as they unfold, for example spread the word about the movie The Sound of Freedom.
We can also donate to President Trump and others whose work we admire (groups and individuals).
We can join existing groups because there is strength in numbers. My favorite right now is pricinctstrategy.com because we must get President Trump re-elected. Regarding that, Mike Liddell also has great ideas, as does True the Vote, and look at what Kari Lake is doing in AZ.
If none of the above is keeping you busy, stand back and analyze your skills and think what you could do. Or look at what you want to know more about and dig in and then share the information everywhere you can.
I posted a link yesterday to an interview with Chris Rufo who was on War Room two days ago. It is an important interview to hear because he talks about how the left took over our our institutions. He has a new book we need to read to learn more about the tactics the left uses. Search on War Room Rumble and scroll the list of videos to day before yesterday to see the interview. (I’m on a kindle and don’t know how to add a link).
Militia is in the Dec of Ind and Constitution for a GOOD REASON.
The illegals have more rights than we do.
We just pay the bills.
in other words, the see eye a (which supposedly has a narrow mission of only foreign intelligence gathering)
perhaps miss uses 5 eyes (other countries similar intelligence agencies)
to widen the see eye a access to domestic us meta data (the u.s. being a foreign country to another country)
and routinely side steps the fisa court to gain access to – or to alter data.
(untold, fisa court is basically a rubber stamp, asleep at the cherry wood desk, legal system, anyway since it has been proven that the fisa court can be coerced with ‘national security’ rhetoric or duped with false or incomplete information and / or a friendly (but sly, nefarious) eye wink).
[ and that rampant access to meta data is not ‘fully’ nor promptly reported by the u.s. government,
even though rogers noticed many unauthorized queries into meta data, in 2015 – and generally reported it,
but was subsequently memory holed within the system to subdue sunlight upon the plethora of over reaches into private u.s. lives.
(which is untold, a naive’ digital gateway to intelligence operatives in unfriendly countries) ]
The rats nest of circuitry of whom all has access to private data may be too difficult to unravel.
When considering the ( computer software incrementalisms )
a i data access and manipulations too,
then the problems just compound themselves – and further confuses what is true. (with untold intent, by others)
There are solutions. I do not know the answer(s), but perpetuating obfuscation is not the answer.
[ consider that the u.s. congress has the power of the purse, but is also very reluctant in the actual ‘action’ of defunding systems is proven, over time,
implies that we the people may want to ponder alternative, peaceful solution(s).
(as there are many examples of innocent people have become targeted, by govm’t)
It is self-evident, what is not working, thus far… ]
The peaceful ‘sound of freedom’ can help more people to become aware of the nefarious things, upon innocent people, that go on – and the cover ups that have, and still are, going on.
That example of sharing awareness with the public, can be helpful toward solution(s), over time.
Easier said, than done. But, worthwhile…
More hands, make less work
Love thy neighbors
I wish we could go back to the old days, when no one had a device. That would be the end of the data collection on us.
A new Samsung stove was installed in my kitchen yesterday.
This morning, a notification popped up on my cell phone:
“A new device has been detected. Please click ‘start’ if you want the (whatever) app for your Samsung stove to be activated….” Won’t be doing that.
It’ll monitor how much ground beef you use and shut down when you reach the government quota. Insect frying is unlimited.
Good One!!
Yup!
“frying” is allowed in coconut oil only, comrade!
No, eat the insects raw It saves energy! 🐛🦗🦟
“As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth’s final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny.
The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism.
Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master.”
~ Pravin Lal
Alpha Centauri quotes
Firaxis Games
Sharon, a Samsung stove was installed after kitchen renovation; received the same message (2yrs ago); I muttered the word f/u and deleted the message.
I know of a few individuals (hairdresser is one) whose entire house is controlled by apps.
It’s why I don’t have a internet doorbell security system, love them but don’t trust them
In the movie Contact, Mathew Mconoughe (?) is being interviewed, and he asks a VITAL question that few seriously contemplate;
“Are we BETTER OFF, with all of this technology?”
Are we,.. HAPPIER? Are we truly MORE connected, as we sit at our machines, rather than engaging face to face?” or something to that effect.
Unfortunately, with any new technology, the advantages are readily apperent, the downsides may not become discernible for many years, by which time we have become so dependant on the new technology, that it seems impossible to go back.
After watching “The Gods must be Crazy” which while a movie made to entertain, accurately compares/contrasts Civilisation with pre-civilisation hunter gatherer lifestyles, and doing some “serious reading ON pre-civilisation (hunter/gatherer and proto-civilisation agrarian societies) I truly wish Humanity could go back to living such a pre-civilisation lifestyle.
And, I think there is a 50/50 chance that I may get my wish (due to the collapse OF Civilisation) although I won’t live to see it.
😉
I love that movie!
The Gods Must Be Crazy is indeed a hilarious movie.
But underneath, it provides valuable lessons.
I’m putting that on my list to rewatch…as it’s been awhile.
Dutchman,
(One of my favorite current respondants – long-time lurker, seldom responder.) I think, perhaps that you have an optimistic estimation of the ease with which our civilization might ‘revert’ to a proto-civilisation; agrarian civilization.
in 3-5 weeks.
3. Electricity supplies(?) Who are you trying to ‘kid’?
4. ‘Natural’ Gas supplies(?) Who are you trying to ‘kid’
5. Refined hydrocarbon fuels(?) Who are you try ing to ‘kid
6. Available healthful clean water ‘on demand'(?) Who are you trying to kid?
Paul Taylor,
Thank you. I NEVER said it would be EASY.
EVERY Civilisation thats ever existed, has eventually collapsed.
Having done SOME reading on Archeology which is the study of ancient civilisations, the concensus is that collapse is inevitable, but usually pretty “messy”.
Its because civilisation, per se is an inherently unstable, might say ‘artificial’ construct, that its collapse is inevitable.
Civilisation inevitably causes people to be dependant on supply chains for neccesities, H/G and proto-civilisations are inherently self-sufficient.
Thr Amish are a good example of something very close to the early proto-civilisations, still existing in our “modern world”.
Inter-dependant, with a culture that encourages cooperation and discourages competition.
Oh, and if you watch
Gods,..Crazy, take note of the physical condition of the “Bush people” in the movie, who of coarse ARE bush people. ALL in excellent physical heath, which isthe case with the Kush tribe of Africa (another still H/G group).
No Cancer, artheriosclerosis,diabetes, copd or really ANY of the “chronic diseases” that plague “civilised” man.
I don’t think it was as good as you think
Average lifespan 38-40
Women and their children died in childbirth at a very high percentage
Research Itsak Semmrleis.
WEALTHY woman for whom a hospital birth was a social, status neccesity had up to 80% fetal/maternal mortality rates.
POOR woman who relied on MIDWIVES, around 3%.
Yes, the stats really were THAT stark.
Only ONE resident Dr. was horrified at these stats, tried to DO something about it, and was crucified by his ‘brethren’.
re: “I wish we could go back to the old days, when no one had a device. That would be the end of the data collection on us.”
Look up “pen register”.
__Jim: Governments will always seek to surveille the citizenry. It’s inevitable and unavoidable. On the other hand, free individuals will always seek ways to avoid surveillance. It’s our duty.
A pen register (the original “wiretap” tech) had to be installed physically connected to the telecomm line it was recording, and it required power.
So it’s not like today’s “remote” technology – they could not be quite as invisible as they are today.
re: “A pen register …”
1) Did you miss the point on this, or no? 2) Are you familiar with the legal precedent and challenges on pen registers or no?
More to the point – IS the POSTER to whom I made my reply familiar with 1) and 2) above? Methinks not given his comment. I didn’t bring it up b/c *I* was unfamiliar with the history OR challenges to it.
For what it’s worth i have reached out to RINO Inc. in SC. Though Tim is busy pretending to run for president and Lindsey “I got booed in my home town” Graham will repond with his usual (I know better than you) autoreply.
Yes! I get Graham and Scott’s crap answers every time. Those responses are just on autopilot. Lowlife cockroaches is what they are!
And he was pretty much bragging that there was still that remaining 20% of unauthorized searches taking place. No conscience whatsoever.
Search permission should be like Secure Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) authorization, which takes a whole ‘nother level of background check and need-to-know. Even if you have the clearance, you still don’t get in without a specifically stated need to get in. Permission to Search should have exactly the same level of restrictions. AND THE PUNISHMENT FOR VIOLATION should be IMMEDIATE TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT, escorted out of the building by security, if not a mandatory jail term. It’s DISGUSTING that so many people can get off scot-free when they VIOLATE my personal privacy. In essence this is as bad as walking in my front door, camera-with-mic in hand, and recordng everything that can be seen and heard. It is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG and it MUST BE STOPPED in its entirety.
Out of which end was Wray speaking? There is no verification of the veracity of his statements.
And no one asked him for it.
Along with the list above on which we are monitored we also have to add them cards our grocery stores give us.
Every single thing you purchase with them cards goes way beyond the store in which we purchase (ESG) along with gas and five 👁️ is just one program.
https://restoreprivacy.com/5-eyes-9-eyes-14-eyes/
“the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) is reviewing legal compliance by the NSA and FBI in accessing the NSA database that houses the private electronic records, metadata, of every American.”
Private Electronic Records, what a joke, private is a word with no meaning to the government when it refers to the privacy of everyday citizens.
What would happen to their data profile on individuals if people started to swap cell phones with one another. Maybe people should start to form small groups for that purpose. It could be one way of throwing a few grains of sand into the machinery.
Can you imagine what would happen to your profile if one of the people in your group was a long haul truck driver or a bus driver in a blue city or an Uber driver.
Burner phones.
Drug cartels make good use of those.
If too many people start using them, the government will ban them or figure out some way to track them.
Think the cartels worry about that?
Black market.
Cartels give money to campaigns which encourages TPTB to not enforce any laws against them.
They can already track you if you buy one in a store with cameras …and all stores have them.
Cash payment won’t help.
dd_sc: Drug cartels make good use of Congress.
“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”
― George Washington
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
All the same, we take our chances
Laughed at by Time, tricked by circumstances…
10000 government employees have direct acces, fire them all and if not then nuke them, evil needs to be destroyed. The entire cesspool of DC needs to be destroyed. Dismantling alphabet agencies and departments won’t work there can not be found 10 righteous within.
Some of those 10,000 are ‘private contractors,’ which is a whole other level of wrong.
Gov proxies and NGOs do the dirty work that gubmint is Constitutionally prohibited from doing itself. They conduct the illegal search and seizure.
Kind of like Twatter, Goggle and Fakebook front the gubmint’s illegal censorship of American voices.
These ‘back doors’ to government tyranny against the American people become more evident with each passing day.
Are we sure about that?
Or is it 10,000 Federal employees plus those ‘private contractors’?
I think your correct.
It would be much more efficient to totally destroy all the huge data complexes that house these databases. However, I’m sure Americans are not really ready to go back to living free. It’s hard.
What can you say about a populace that has to be electronically entertained all the time? If we all paid attention to critical/painful realities of life and human foibles, we would notice the susceptibility of our species to coercion through entertainment/communication and a need to escape the harsh realities of existence by any easily accessible means. Electronic technology is the perfect instrument of subjugation. It’s the control weapon totalitarian psychopaths have always dreamed of.
I just read a stunning WSJ article about the madness of multi-millions of Tylor Swift fans who not only love her music and will go to any lengths to see her in concert, but also appear to have given their lives and personas over to living vicariously through “Taylor Swift worship.”
No wonder control of the narrative is essential for the overlords: we prols live by the collective opinions expressed most often through the largest number of electronic outlets. We’re not living our own lives; we’re living “the narrative,” subliminal messages and all.
No more Sundance!
Reading this, and it’s more evidence of the deep deep state.
Thankful to Sundance, and the vital and crucial role he has, in exposing these people.
God Speed Sundance
Combine all that data with AI and what do you get? A virtual me.
“A virtual me.”
yup. a virtual me that can and probably WILL act on my behalf so that the fascists have the dirt on you that they want and need should they decide to do another boxcar roundup. it will not matter whether you are “guilty” of something or not.
leading one to wonder: if i sit around and comply because i fear the wrath of these fascists, they will persecute and destroy us anyway. do i hope for the best or control my destiny and exit on my own terms?
yes yes, i am a fed and what not. i am collecting my check this friday for provoking you all so cleverly. does that make the question less relevant?
Louisiana Steve: I have enough of a challenge dealing with the real me.
Exactly!
Think about this: we give our phone apps access to our phone’s microphone and camera. With our permission, apps can turn them both on whenever they want. That data is collected by someone, somewhere. Does the NSA have that data stored as well?
And while I’m at it, show me the need for 3.4M NSA Database searches in one year to combat terror? How many searches per FISC Authorization? How many terror plots foiled per FISC Authorization? How many terrorists arrested per FISC Authorization? And one more question, were searches done [more likely a better question: how many were done?] by the FBI’s NSD on J6 suspects?
Nothing to see here.
G0od morning Rosco, and good points you’ve made.
Meanwhile, they target and focus on Americans. They leave the border wide open, for millions of unvetted unknowns,
who potentially pose a real threat.
Our gubmint obviously considers the American people who oppose their tyranny to be a threat. People who oppose tyranny are naturally a threat to the tyrants who impose the tyranny.
Our personal surveillance devices will be paper weights and all the data ‘they’ so desire can be wiped out by a CME (Coronal Mass Ejection). Think Carrington Event of 1859 where telegraph wires melted. The heavens are showing activity that could end all their plans.
These men, the agencies running the county in lock step with the WEF, remind me of the Tower of Babel and their plans when their communication (todays phones) were wiped out.
A major solar event could bring their power to rubble and be an answer to prayer.
https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/solar-maximum-could-hit-us-harder-and-sooner-than-we-thought-how-dangerous-will-the-suns-chaotic-peak-be#:
.
I found a way to end all these …phone apps….’not have a phone. When I retired, a told my wife I would never own another cell phone or laptop. ‘I was sick of being tethered to these things 24/7. That was 20 years ago, and I’ve managed to survive.
I hate that word….app…
How are you reading and posting here?
PC….
👋👏
Remington: That’s one way to go. All that matters is that it works for you.
I’m admittedly “phone dependent,” but I have cut off cable TV. It’s a start, and I don’t miss having its endless stream of inanity available at a click of the remote.
Wray reduced unauthorized searches by sending them to other agencies. You can bet your backside they won’t give up snooping. They are making their list, and everyone here is on it. Each and every non compliant search is an illegal warrentless search and should result in termination and civil legal action against the perpetrators—which is why this is all secret.
Millions of Americans have the equivalent of a British soldier quartered in their homes.
Great analogy!
With the capability of AI -it is the equivalent of the British army. It is open to anyone who wants to sneak a peek!
Antisocialists: Indeed. A digital Redcoat in every home.
“If this all goes South, we’ll wrap up Blackbrier, tied it around Landys neck, and then start it up again.”
Its the way of “the intel community”.
I DO see a possible path forward, to unravelling this Gordian knot, ironically in the MAL documents case Smith is bringing.
It IS following the Constitution, that both the Courts and the Legislature defer to the Executive on all matters of National Security, BECAUSE the POTUS, as Commander has absolute plenary authority as C inC.
Therefore these agencies, ACTING UNDER HIS DIRECTION, also have this authority and so Courts and Legislature MUST defer to THEM.
But its obvious the POTUS does NOT, in any way relinquish HIS authority to THEM; as their authority comes FROM him, and not the other way around.
A Court case affirming this would clarify PDJT did NOT need any permission from ANYONE to go on National TV, and ‘expose’ all of the ‘classified’ material he chose to, be it Crossfire hurricane, or Nuclear codes.
The ONLY “check” on the President would be NOT legal, but political; i.e. Impeachment.
Point being such a Court ruling, affirming PDJT’s authority, especially if reelected with a yuge margin, could give him the political power to deconstruct the monstrosity of the Deep State, once and for all.
Having a VP that gave him an inherent “insurance policy” against removal from office, would be a perfect “tri-fecta”…IMHO.
Having said all that…I think the plan is to allow individual states legal cover to keep Trump off the ballot.
Could be. We will have to overcome that with write-ins if necessary.
Exactly and then clean house.
I don’t think they will be able to accomplish that, either Lorrie.
They run into the SAME, unsolvable problem as the RNC refusing PDJT the nomination..
THE RNC could technically, legally and by their own rules, do this RIGHT NOW.
WE all know they WANT to, desperately so why DON’T they?
Because they know WE will not accept it.
Likewise, they will find that WE will NOT consent to any effort to keep PDJT’s name off the ballot, and actually in their efforts, National is “better” from their point of view that State or Local, as resisting a National move, is more challenging for Us than a State or Local one.
Point is, people keep ‘talking’ about all sorts of PROCEEDURAL ways THEY could keep PDJT off the ballot, both “our side” and “the other side” but their challenge is NOT about “proceedures” and so no proceedure will solve it.
WE are the insoluble problem. And, so long as WE hold fast ignore the distractions and influencers, and stay strong in our detirmination thst its PDJT and ONLY PDJT,…they are helpless (and screwes!)
*”Within his congressional testimony, OIG Horowitz stated, “Approximately 30% of those 3.4 million search queries were noncompliant,” that is outside the rules and regulations that govern warrantless searches.”*
How do we know he was not giving a lower number than actually occured under the cover of “approximately”? We don’t.
Grog: As far as I’m concerned, Horowitz is a non-entity. Completely useless.
Ya know…….……if you are so stupid that you insist on ruling the world, you deserve to spend the rest of your life doing just that.
10,000 government agents reviewing our texts, locations, all that metadata…..?
What a useless waste of time.
Live your best life, Treepers.
Living a truly free life would mean giving up all the conveniences that have come about along with these activities. Few Americans would be willing to give them up. Those few that do will be the ones to rebuild this place after it has been destroyed by the damning mistakes of the Left.
That’s why they want to impose digital currency, no escape. Same with digital ID. They’re societal house arrest bracelets.
They won’t even have to go to the expense of building gulag facilities. They can imprison us in our homes, and make them as punishing and restrictive as they wish by stripping our lives of all the necessities, comforts and amenities we now enjoy.
Which is WHY, IMHO we have, or at least I have TWO lines in the sand, and one is if they attempt to impose CBDC.
I THINK, however that its far ‘trickier’ than many realise, including THEM.
They have been TALKING, WRITING and planning it, for YEARS, its obviously their “Ultimate dream” tool in their quest for World domination.
However, as far as I know, not ONE of the 186 countries, has yet to actually attempt to Implement it.
WHY NOT, at least a “beta test” in some small country?
And, there IS the very real prospect of “Unintended consequences”,…it is said that Prohibition, over night turned millions of law abiding citisens into criminals, and sparked a whole “black market” and “underclass” of those now criminals.
CBDC could have all sorts of unintended, and for THEM, undesirable consequences.
So, lets see what happens with CBDC, and perhaps other events will overtake them,..
Which just goes to show how far our *oppressors* are willing to go to oppose free and fair elections. No way do people vote for tyranny!
Tyrants who impose such draconian mandates are installed, not elected.
I can’t even rule my home. My pets are in control. They just allow me to live here.🐾🐾
Here is my letter to my representative and senators:
It has come to my attention that the House and Senate are planning to debate FISA 702 Reauthorization. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released in April, 2023 a 2023 Memorandum Opinion on FISA-702 activity as reported by the NSA and FBI, and to a lesser extent the CIA and NCTC.
However, that 2023 Memorandum of the ODNI does not contain the information from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Michael Horowitz to which he testified on April 27, 2023: over 3.4 million searches of the NSA database, over 1 million of which were “non-compliant” (illegal), and 10,000 employees with access to search that database. This number (3.4 million) is much, much larger than the search queries produced by NSA/FBI review to the FISA Court. For that reason the FISA court opinion under-reports the actual surveillance activities under FISA-702 authorization.
FISA-702 reauthorization cannot be appropriately debated, considered or reviewed without the FISA Court receiving the information from the DOJ Inspector General review of the FISA-702 process. No FISA Court opinion is worth anything when it is based on a minimal subset of the actual violations that factually take place.
Thank you for your attention to this issue.
Did you address it to the North Pole. It’ll get the same attention.
You get nothing at all if you do nothing. In talking to a representative 3-4 months ago, I was told that he gets so few emails and letters that he and his staff do notice. He told me that he will get maybe 5 or 6 contact emails on important legislation and maybe 8-10 phone calls. On a hot topic issue, he might get 20 of each, but mostly from Democrats.
He was trying to tell us that we MUST contact him if we have concerns because he doesn’t know those concerns automatically.
I applaud individuals who keep moving forward against the odds. These are the same people who listen and take further action when a different plan presents itself. They are not pontificating and resting on their collective glutious maximus. More power to ’em!
Most Washington elites have a vested interest in this passing.
Excellent. Thank you.
You may use, add to, or change if you want to write to a Congressman.
Thanks Belle, excellent template for me to copy and send to my 2 Senators and Congressman.
Belle: Thank you. I am going send my Congresscritters and Senile Senators snail mail letters, although I will start and end with the declaration that the FISA Court is un-constitutional and an abomination to all Americans.
Great addition, and I too applaud those who tell the barstuds what WE think.
If they choose to ignore, thats on THEM.
If WE choose not to let them know, THATS on us.
As Lindsey so eloquently demonstrated recently, many/most/ all have NO IDEA whats in ANY of the legislation they are voting on.
Their STAFF tells them how to vote.
I am going to go out on a limb here and predict that FISA is reauthorized with at least 80% yay votes in both houses.
I think you are safe on that limb you are sawing on…….they are NEVER gonna give up that power. Big mistake to allow them to have that power in the first place but then we’ve exacerbated that by allowing it go on for years. Pretty much written in stone now.
yes. i think throwing out the red meat of “OMG terrorists” for a decade or so sucked a lot of otherwise decent people in – long enough to get ‘er entrenched so they could target their REAL enemy: the citizens of the former republic of the USA.
Yes, its a common pattern.
Megyn Kelly did a monologue recently, about how she (and many others) were ‘sucked in’ on the whole transgender thing.
How she started off “sympathetic” to these ‘trans people’, you know “a woman trapped in a mans body, that just want to identify as a woman, and so she began to ‘accomodate’ by using her “preferred pronouns”.
It didn’t seem to be “too much to ask, etc.” and then “WOKE UP” to realise THEY were grooming kids, putting 10 y.o.’s on hormones and surgery and realised “WTF?!!” ,..and now SEES the big picture and won’t be using preferred pronouns, any more.
AmericanThinker has a great article on this phenominom this a.m.
“Do leftists believe what they CLAIM to believe?” by Greg Irwin.
Lays out numerous examples, and why debating over Climate Change, Gun Control, Trans foolishness, Abortion, Affirmative Action etc. using Facts, Logic, etc. is a waste of time.
Because for leftists, the “issue” isn’t the point, the issue is just a device used to achieve forward motion for THE AGENDA.
I still don’t trust her either.
Far as I am concerned, everything out of her mouth is blah blah blah.
Won’t take the time and effort to even click onto watch her with my TV remote.
💲💲💲💲
Sorry, I didn’t clarify, B.K.
I also trust her as far as I can throw my 10 ton truck.
Was just using her monologue as an example, because she eloquently described how she got led down the garden path,..and how she then realised in horror where it led.
Calling some f’d up man thst had his d*ck cut off and a boob job “miss” or whatever, yeah that didn’t seem “too much to ask”.
Next step, identifying herself by her “preferred pronouns” to indicate she respected and aknowledged these,…f’d up people also didn’t SEEM to be “too much to ask”..
And then she is being told to support grooming, treatments on 10 y.o.’s, and porn in school libraries etc and suddenly she said “WHOA,…WTF?!!”
And I think her monologue expresses the journey of many, not just on this trans crap, but on ALL of the leftist bullshirt; Climate change, Reparations, etc.
“702 rules” what 702 rules?
De who gots the 702 searches,….RULES.
What are they doing with the illegally obtained information, blackmail, frontrunning the stock market, throwing people in jail, stalking girlfriends. Likely this and more. It’s a cesspool of corruption.
The problem is they already have everything they need to try you for the crime they invent, without a warrant. That has to be unconstitutional.
Just another day at the office.
I posted this previously, but it is probably more relevant here:
Hey Sundance,
Do we know how much political activists had access to the intelligence databases? The reason I’m asking is because I remember 2 incidences.
The first is the report that Perkins Coie had access to the FBI’s systems and that the FBI used political groups to identify Jan 6th protesters.
The second is a report stating that Adm. Rogers had to cut off access to Intelligence database from outside the government as there were several thousand inquiries from third party vendors.
I’m wondering if one of the things Obama did was to give access to the intelligence communities database to groups like Antifa.
Nothing would surprise me.
This is the bottom line. As long as a monstrosity such as this database exists, we will never be a free people. Who controls it is beside the point.
In case anyone is thinking of emailing all of Congress w one click, hasn’t worked like that in awhile, think web form walls. Fax is best and just to your own reps, while encouraging others in dif areas to contact theirs, as SD is going. Even if you are represented by an anti-American, take away their plausible deniability that they never received any concerns about this issue. In fact, re emphasize that Congress has already been made aware of Horowitz’s findings as explained by SD. Got this from Art Harman,
Policy Analyst at The Conservative Caucus – https://www.conservativeusa.net/whycantiwritetoallrepresentatives.htm
It’s an old article w links that may be out of date, but the phone number still works to call the switchboard directly and have someone pick up immediately and transfer you to your rep’s phone line. VMs are usually comprehensive w further info or you may just leave a msg – 202-224-3121
Politicians care about dark money and ballot harvesting operations, not people. The people who fund these operations is getting their will done. We should make our views known but it’ll take more to effect change. We still have a little freedom like who we offer our money and services to.
I don’t know….maybe it’s the $%%$@#$ weather today in Arizona, but I am OD’d…
Hang in there, Remington, the monsoon is coming,..this afternoon in fact.
More clouds, some RAIN, and lower temperatures but higher humidity.
I’m sure that number of Federal employees with access to the Data Mart does NOT include the veritable army of contractors with access.
What is it about third party NGO’s and data bases?
They are proxies for the Surveillance State and serve as the off ramp to stolen elections.
Vote Amish!
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=357904782004642
In one article you complain of excessive and unlawful searches of the NSB data base on American citizens and in another you complain of dark money going into Biden’s campaign from unknown sources that is laundered thru US contributors. How do you propose we get to the bottom of were that dark money came from? You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
The Intelligence game is more akin to warfare rather than a legal process. It is not a neat process in fact it is rather messy with a lot of shades of gray. Foreign Intelligence operatives operate in this country often through US citizens including politicians. You can set guidelines and rules of engagement like you do in combat but these often get blurred in actual operations. For instance it is illegal for a solider to deliberately kill civilian non combatants (i.e. Me Li) but we accept civilian non combatant causalities when we bomb cities to destroy enemy military resources. Once we became aware that terrorist were using aircraft to attack both the Pentagon and World Trade center the Air Force was given orders to shoot down civilian airliners that did not comply with orders to land at the nearest appropriate air field. Killing the non combatant US citizens on those planes was deemed acceptable. Look I am not trying to be a smart ass here but I am just trying to point out the legal and moral ambiguities involved and the difficulties facing the intelligence agencies and FISC courts.
In gathering intelligence one has to cast a very wide net and then shift through all the data to sort out the relevant information. Really only 30% inappropriate search queries is not that bad. Most of these were probably legitimate leads that simply didn’t pan out. I personally believe the British model of intelligence oversight works far better than ours where the PM is ultimately legally responsible for what MI5 and MI6 do. But the Brits have a parliamentary system with a monarchy and we have a constitutional republic so we can not do many things the way they do but there are important lessons to be learned from them, after all they have been playing the game a lot longer than we have.
The most important thing we can do as citizens is to elect intelligent, patriotic, highly ethical and moral people to public office. Because these are the people who will have control over the Intelligence agencies and will have to make all the “shades of grey” decisions. You must make your decision based on objective reality and ethics not the current media fad of the day, how many goodies do you get or just pure emotion.
So if 10,000 federal employees and contractors have access to all of America’s bank records, credit card data and phone numbers,
I HAVE NO DOUBT HOW SO MANY OF THE FRAUD SCAMS ORIGINATE. No legislation is written by K-Street lawyers with fraud penalties or audit requirements for a very good reason; then passed by a “don’t no nuffin” Kongress; then approved by a brain-dead POTUS.
Besides election and blackmail research, the NSA database is a scammers dream come true.
For those new to this discussion on CTH, 702 Compliance has been a hot topic since 2016. That’s right … data proving over 10 YEARS “contractor, DoJ and DHS query abuses” have been KNOWN TO, EXAMINED BY and REPORTED ON by the IG and Federal Courts at least since 2012 … that we know of.
Back in 2017, a report to the FISC to by Comrade Barrack Obama’s very own Director of the NSA, Admiral Mike Rogers showed that over 85% of the 702 Queries violated 4th-5th-6th amendment rights of the folks whose names were in the data of those queries. The bulk of those queries were by contractors and focused on POLITICAL opponents and knowing what we now know those queries were made by both DNC and RNC partisan contractors.
To put it in brighter light … succeeding Democrat and Republican (i.e. Uni-Party) dominated congresses have RE-APPROVED the FISA knowing these facts.
That was the same Admiral Rogers who warned President elect Trump that his transition HQ in Trump Towers, NY City, was bugged and being electronically as well as physically monitored by the FBI.
Admiral Rogers is one of those very very old school professional military officers who sets aside his own political feelings to do the right thing and stay out of the public eye. These types do really exist.
I highly recommend, to folks new to this topic, go back through the CTH archives to 2017-2018 to read the older articles by Sundance and supporting comments by CTH participants.
This will give you a feel for the threat that all folks who bring sunlight and post disagreements or protest across social media, to the corruption in our present day government, face from the Government we “elect”.
good refresher on something personal to the Author of theconservativetreehouse
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2020/08/22/my-discussion-with-john-durhams-lead-investigator-william-aldenberg/
The archives is a veritable treasure trove, second the reccomendation.
Also reccomend the Oliver Stone movie “Snowden”, get the DVD so you can see the interview WITH Snowden and Stone in the “special features”.
Very,…clarifying on how the system is used and abused.
Complete banana republic garbage
Star chamber Washington DC
C’Mon man….It’s the Just-Us department. The finest that money can buy.
The entire government has been ignoring the Constitution for some time. What cqn we do about it? all remedies have been taken away.
what about the GCHQ handing off information to the US people.
The director resigned after the 2016 election.
Reality report: if there’s any preconception that this extension won’t be rubber stamped it is delusional.
For reason of no way that once control (and power) is given to a group, this group – the 4th branch – will fight tooth and nail before relinquishing. You can just hear the speeches in their secret courts “But judge here’s all these domestic terrorists now! WE NEED THIS!” – DUH ok then *stamp*
(Domestic terrorist is people who are actually aware they have fewer civil rights each day to worry about and who tend to speak up more than the average Joe)
My argument is also this:
How many lobbyists are fighting in DC for privacy, anti-Government-fraud and civil rights?
I bet you can count them on one hand.
Now how many lobbyists are fighting in DC for trawling massive databases for “safety and anti-terrorism”… Exactly, it will be in the 1000’s. Just tech industry lobbyists will easily surpass this.
Reports consisting of 100’s of pages aren’t meant to be read, they are meant to bury stuff and be put on the shelf.
Do not get me wrong, it is good to bring this out in the open and shed light on it. Too few people who can do anything against are not doing their job for various reasons.
Sunlight
if the debate starts in congress – it might influence others that arent aware.
by contacting congress – you force them to show their teeth to you (ignoring you, doing the opposite of representing you)
eventually a standoff will occur with the People have seen to much
Imagine Loomer having – Admiral Rogers just got Loomer’d
dc is a cesspool
and the republicans will never impeach no one home joe.
Prediction: The process is going to be jerry rigged as an insurance policy against a Trump return such that the FISA courts are re-authorized so that they can’t be touched during the next 4 year presidential term.
This kind of thing is going to start happening all over the place in bureaucracy.
They see the writing on the wall.
The intel agencies sole authority derives DIRECTLY from the Presidents sole, plenary authority as Commander in chief.
Hence as their power id DERIVATIVE of HIS, HE can overrule THEM on matters of National security, THEY can not overrule him.
And nothing the legislsture or Courts can do can change that.
I contacted my Representatives. They need to hear from we the people on a regular basis. You can bet the other side is bombarding them daily.
TMI more importantly. Budweiser is sponsoring shark week so don’t watch
The “white supremacists and domestic terrorists pose the greatest threat to America” is the central tenet in the FBI becoming a US gestapo. Should this thing die, which is highly highly unlikely, the FBI and others will simply keep it moving forward under another pile of lies and absurd premises.
The FISA Court should be abolished. It’s un-American and un-constitutional.
Nothing will change the Uniparty, will do NOTHING!
No such thing as republican and democrat in DC. We live under totalitarian authority that is acting like the citizens of our country matter. The dirtbags that set in the two chambers of congress do nothing but talk and continue to make thing worse. They are all Joe Biden!
The US version is project HAMR. The Israeli NOS Pegasus is for sale. How would anyone even know if their phone is infiltrated? They ALL are.
SD, you never mention the ability to listen to anything said in the presence of a microphone. Not just phone calls, even what you mumble under your breath can be analyzed with the 5th generation military grade surveillance device we all have in our pockets.
https://dnyuz.com/2023/04/18/how-mexico-became-the-biggest-user-of-the-worlds-most-notorious-spy-tool/
Or if you don’t want to read the whole thing, here is one excerpt:
Many tools can infiltrate your digital life, but Pegasus is exceptionally potent. It can infect your phone without any sign of intrusion and extract everything on it — every email, text message, photo, calendar appointment — while monitoring everything you do with it, in real time.
It can record every keystroke, even when you’re using encrypted applications, and watch through your phone’s camera or listen through its microphone, even if your phone is turned off.
It has been used to fight crime, helping to break up child-abuse rings and arrest notorious figures like Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the drug lord known as El Chapo.
But it has also been deployed illegally, again and again, with governments using Pegasus to spy on and stifle human rights defenders, democracy advocates, journalists and other citizens who challenge corruption and abuse.
I don’t know if this is an example 0f what you are talking about but once I was working in the yard when it was really hot. I had on shorts and a tee shirt. I came in the house to cool off and clean up. Before I cleaned up I decided to check my e-mail, I do Gig work and was expecting an update on a new contract. I had taken off my tee shirt and put in in the laundry because it was soaked in sweat. I was on the computer with shirt off, camera off and checking my e-mail. The next day I gat travel ads for nudist vacations. I had never received those kind of adds before. After that I keep the camera taped over unless I am using it and never completely trusted the computer again.
Government authority will be abused to the maximum extent
allowable by lawthey can get away with.Note: this is not limited to Federal, State, or Local government. This is human nature. See also HOA Nazis.
People made fun of me for years as I maintained that his birth certificate was an absolute joke.
How does one buy that story after all the delays and obfuscation around it. Media and intel shenanigans.
There are way too many departments, way to many silos. There are departments developed to look into other departments who are looking into still other departments. Busy work for government employees who will get a pension when they are done looking into things. Keep them busy looking, just don’t act on any of the findings.
In the last ten years or so, Congress has turned into the department of looking into things but no action needed as well. I am sick of Congress having hearings to air the dirty laundry of our government only to sweep it under the rug once they have finished.
🤦
I thank God that He has the final Word about all things. These folks think they are getting by with their evil plans and actions, but they will one day serve their sentences and it will be an “eternity” sentence, which is worse than a life sentence.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus! 🙏🏼🙌🏼
They would do better to reform it.
Nothing will change
Cowards
That clean, smooth, and articulate black man, with the help of his stalinist minions (including repubs), sure pulled the wool over many Americans eyes. But if you say anything about it, youre branded a racist, and sent off to “re-education” kamp.
This is cute – like we have any rights left to get back.
That is a lot of database queries. One would suspect that data mining software is still be used on the database. Recall the 99 page FISA order wherein the violation was disclosed of that data mining program – code name redacted – running in ‘test’ mode.
I wonder if there isn’t a way to amend this law to build in a few things, like:
Retaining the ability to audit all searches so long as their object/product remains classified.
A mandatory reduction in the budget of agencies by 1% for every 10 unauthorized(illegal) searches(with the contracting gov’t agency being responsible for the conduct of contractors)
Criminal liability for the persons and civil penalties for the agencies conducting illegal searches
OIG gets to audit all of it, and must report to Congress and President every 90 days
You can come up with any specifics you want, but there must be consequences for mis-using the FISA process, both for individual actors and for the institutions.
x
Here’s another alarming disconnect: “Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court”.
The very first word is a Big Lie. It’s not Foreign Surveillance–it’s DOMESTIC, hiding behind a Foreign-label.
Gipper: “License to Surveille American Citizens” would be accurate.
Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court.
“The NSA and FBI report violations of the process to the FISA Court; this is somewhat of an honor system.”
You can’t have an Honor System with the Honorless.
see also; Voting.
It’s only a system – there is no honor.