CIA Accused of Spying on Senate Intel Committee, Breaking Law

[1979Shocker]

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/cia-accused-spying-senate-intel-committee-breaking-law-n49816

The head of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Tuesday that the CIA searched the panel's computers and that the search may have violated the Constitution.

"The CIA just went and searched the committee's computers," California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein said in a lengthy speech on the Senate floor, calling the the matter a "defining moment" for the oversight of the Intelligence Committee.

"I have grave concerns that the CIA’s search may well have violated the separation of powers principles embodied by the United States Constitution, including the speech and debate clause,” she said. "It may have undermined the Constitutional framework essential to effective congressional oversight of intelligence activity or any other government function."

[RoyalShock]

Where was Feinstein's rage when it was the general citizenry being spied on?

[1979Shocker]

McCain Floats Independent Probe of CIA Spying Charge

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/cia-senate-snooping/mccain-floats-independent-probe-cia-spying-charge-n50076

Sen. John McCain says an independent investigation might be necessary to determine whether the CIA improperly accessed Senate computers.

"It is very disturbing, and we need a thorough and complete investigation, and I'm trying to figure out who would be doing it, because there's allegations of bias on both sides, so we may need some kind of independent investigation," the Arizona Republican said Tuesday, acknowledging that he had yet to gather all the facts.

McCain does not currently serve on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence but has been one of the leading voices of criticism of the CIA over enhanced interrogation tactics. On Tuesday morning, panel chair Sen. Dianne Feinstein publicly accused the CIA of accessing Senate staff computers in a possibly unconstitutional search of documents concerning the agency’s past use of the tactics.

[_kai_]

In my humble, plebian opinion, it is more beneficial for the CIA to have surveillance on members of congress who on the regular see the most sensitive information... over say me, regular joe citizen who looks at funny pictures and talk hoops on the computer.

Operation Optic Nerve is a wonderful example of the NSA's blatant violation of regular citizen's privacy. 1.8 MILLION Yahoo user's webcams being targeted just over a 6 month period.

[RoyalShock]

In my humble, plebian opinion, it is more beneficial for the CIA to have surveillance on members of congress who on the regular see the most sensitive information... over say me, regular joe citizen who looks at funny pictures and talk hoops on the computer.

On the surface, yes. But what if a Senate sub-committee is looking into corruption or rights violations within the CIA? I'd like those Senators to be able to communicate and accumulate information without the CIA being tipped off.