Some powerful congressmen are raising new questions about telecom immunity based upon the allegations of a new industry whistleblower. In a letter released yesterday, three senior members of the House Energy and Commerce committee, including its chairman, John Dingell (D-Mich.) highlight the case of Babak Pasdar, who has charged “at least one major wireless telecommunications giant” of giving “a Governmental entity access to every communication coming through that company’s infrastructure, including every e-mail, Internet use, document transmission, video, and text message, as well as the ability to listen in on any phone call.”
Pasdar has been known to the committee for some time, but he has come forward publicly now because the Bush administration has blocked every effort to investigate his charges privately.
His allegations mirror those of retired AT&T technician Mark Klein, who came forward accusing his company of providing the government access to, well, just about everything. Dingell, (along with subcommittee chairmen Edward Markey and Bart Stupak) write “Members should be given adequate time to properly evaluate the separate question of retroactive immunity.”
At least. The letter can be accessed here.
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