Federal Judge Rules Bush Administration Must Release NSA Spying Documents

by Steve

Even thought I am sure this will be appealed by the “drag it out” Bush Administration, this is interesting nonetheless:

A federal judge Thursday ordered the Justice Department to respond within 20 days to requests by a civil liberties group for documents about President Bush’s domestic eavesdropping program.

The ruling was a victory for the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which sued the department under the Freedom of Information Act in seeking the release of the documents.

U.S. District Judge Henry Kennedy ruled that the department must finish processing the group’s requests and produce or identify all records within 20 days.

Kennedy also ordered the department to give the group a document index and declaration stating its justification for withholding any documents within 30 days.

Records sought by the group include an audit of the program, a “checklist” guide used to determine whether an individual’s phone or e-mail messages could be monitored, documents showing how information gleaned through eavesdropping had been used, and other legal opinions about the program.

In other words, the Electronic Privacy Information Center has gotten farther in finding out the truth than Arlen Specter has, or will for that matter.

I wonder if Democratic consultants can read court decisions....