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Capitol Police Are Spying On Members Of Congress And The Americans They Meet

do we have a section for Police State matters? <---comment

Besty Woodruff Swan and Daniel Lippman broke the details this week of a new Capitol Police initiative that involves deep dives into the speech, background, and lifestyle details of who members of Congress are meeting with, including donors, Hill staff, mayors, state legislators, and other Americans exercising their First Amendment right to petition their government.

Personal details on Capitol Hill staff, state legislators, or donors are dispersed to partisans and suddenly leaked at an opportune political moment by some agency conveniently immune to the Freedom of Information Act and subject to limited oversight. After the aggressive leaking, spinning, and shaming that bureaucrats engaged in during the Donald Trump years, we’ve seen what’s possible.

This practice also comes dangerously close to burdening the free exercise of political speech, which includes the right to petition the government “for a redress of grievances” without fear of reprisal.

From what I can gather, all they did was comb through publicly available information. If someone knows your name and general location, they can generally find your social media pages, and if you make them public, then they can see what's on them. The article mentions "spying," but I saw no mention of anything that would constitute an invasion of privacy. Seems like more right-biased false narrative propaganda from the Federalist.

From the article:

"a donor meeting attended at a private home by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, meant the homeowner and attendees had their social media scrutinized and evaluated for foreign contacts by Capitol Police. A donor meeting with Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., the House Republican whip, received similar treatment. The Capitol Police were directed to “search for any information about event attendees, including donors and staff, ‘that would cast a member in a negative light.'"

I suppose we could try to make some draconian rule that law enforcement officers aren't allowed to access publicly available information on members of the public until and unless some condition is met, but how would you enforce that? Anything you put on the internet is public and searchable, not just by the federal government and law enforcement, but by anyone. The information you put there is no longer yours to control. I, as a private citizen, could find this information in an hour or two and keep records of it wherever I want for as long as I want and share it with whomever I want. How is anyone going to stop me?

Here's an idea: Whether you're trying to hide from the federal government, law enforcement, or your ex-girlfriend, all you have to do is make your social media private and don't friend anyone you don't know. Or better yet, delete that Facebook page and Twitter account entirely.
 
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against a pre-generated list. they dont search your background for a routine security check
I think they are on the list.
 
I want them to be able to police the 2020 BLM riots as well..
Of course you do. I want a new Road Glide.
"Preventive policing" is a nice Stasi euphamism
As is white victimhood. Well, actually that's not a euphemism. It's straight up nazi.
 
do we have a section for Police State matters? <---comment

Besty Woodruff Swan and Daniel Lippman broke the details this week of a new Capitol Police initiative that involves deep dives into the speech, background, and lifestyle details of who members of Congress are meeting with, including donors, Hill staff, mayors, state legislators, and other Americans exercising their First Amendment right to petition their government.

Personal details on Capitol Hill staff, state legislators, or donors are dispersed to partisans and suddenly leaked at an opportune political moment by some agency conveniently immune to the Freedom of Information Act and subject to limited oversight. After the aggressive leaking, spinning, and shaming that bureaucrats engaged in during the Donald Trump years, we’ve seen what’s possible.

This practice also comes dangerously close to burdening the free exercise of political speech, which includes the right to petition the government “for a redress of grievances” without fear of reprisal.
With congressman being targeted & gunned down by bloodthirsty cowards it is not surprising that this is now needed .

The Terrifying Story of the Congressional Baseball Shooting​

softball shooting.jpg
 
Capitol police don't have the power to spy on Americans. At least not without a warrant.
Now, due to the Patriot Act, the FBI and other federal agencies could spy on Americans, and do, due to the Patriot Act not requiring a warrant under certain rules.
Patriot Act treats everyone as potential terrorists. We were supposed to have "incidental collection" and "masking"
but the Russian Hoax showed that was a bogus separation.

The pernicious background checks here are completely without cause, and can be seen as interfering with "petitioning"
-another enumerated right
 
why dont you just cite the source instead of making me ask for it. I realize national security
hasits own carve outs - but that terrorism..anyways..source please
There are several
 
Of course you do. I want a new Road Glide.

As is white victimhood. Well, actually that's not a euphemism. It's straight up nazi.
why are you bringing in race? the BORights applies to all
 
There are several
lol.. why did I ask for them??
 
Patriot Act treats everyone as potential terrorists. We were supposed to have "incidental collection" and "masking"
but the Russian Hoax showed that was a bogus separation.

The pernicious background checks here are completely without cause, and can be seen as interfering with "petitioning"
-another enumerated right
We have the GOP to thank for the invention of spying on Americans. Without a warrant.
 
we dont keep surveillance on Americans when they arent being investigated for a crime
That requires probable cause or at least incidental collection - not continuous monitering
They are being investigated for a crime, or did you sleep through the whole january 6 thing?
 
*sends chill up my spine* so you are saying anyone in Congress that supports/supported Trump is an enemy of the state?
Thats' like 75 million people you are damning without any probable cause
Chills, yes, but the leftists have been pushing this false equivalency for months where everyone at the capitol 1/6 'over ran the capitol', and as such are domestic terrorists, and by extension, everyone not hating Trump as they do, is a domestic terrorist, and by extension every Republican is a domestic terrorist. Just as with how they describe what happened via constant inflation, fish story style, the scope of people keeps suffering the same over inflation.

I don't think the Capitol Police would take to spying on congress members and their constituents on their own without being directed to do so by someone with the authority to issue orders to them.
Isn't the next logical question who directed them to do so? Who ordered the capitol police to institute these “enhanced security measures”

This pertinent question still goes unanswered.

From the OP's citation:

One can imagine how easily these searches could become politicized: Personal details on Capitol Hill staff, state legislators, or donors are dispersed to partisans and suddenly leaked at an opportune political moment by some agency conveniently immune to the Freedom of Information Act and subject to limited oversight. After the aggressive leaking, spinning, and shaming that bureaucrats engaged in during the Donald Trump years, we’ve seen what’s possible.​

Politicized indeed. It doesn't take hardly any imagination who might have ordered the Capitol Police to conduct these "enhanced security measures", a shared responsibility of The Senate sergeant-at-arms which reports to the Senate majority leader and The House sergeant-at-arms reports which reports to the Speaker. Politicized indeed.

Equally pertinent are the related observations by Gingrich:

“You have, both with Attorney General [Merrick] Garland and this select committee on 6 January, people who have run amok … they’re running over people’s civil liberties.​
. . .​
Gingrich also said the committee was “basically a lynch mob”.​

Capitol Police inspector general's office has heard about it, so some members of the Capitol Police view that direction they've been give with legitimate suspicion and concern, apparently.

Several Capitol Police intelligence analysts have already raised concerns about the practice to the department’s inspector general, according to one of the people who spoke for this story.​

Yet another federal agency politicized and wielded as a political weapon against political enemies? Spying on Congress? Isn't this one of a number of typical Democrat fingerprints?

 
we dont keep surveillance on Americans when they arent being investigated for a crime
That requires probable cause or at least incidental collection - not continuous monitering
Welcome to the liberal's / progressive's / Democrat's 'New Normal'?
 
Perhaps they should stop conspiring against the United States?
So all Republican's in Congress and their constituents which have legitimate reasons to meet with them are considered conspirators by you?
 
Im a fan of "petition the Government for a redress of grievances" without the cops doing deep background checks

So am I.

What I'm NOT a fan of is those who make threats against elected members of government being given access to those people by thier coworkers.
 
So all Republican's in Congress and their constituents which have legitimate reasons to meet with them are considered conspirators by you?
Not by me.
 
More corrupt political use of government power.

When will people stop accepting this from their elected representatives?
As soon as some of those elected representatives stop encouraging violence against those they disagree with.
 
Not by me.
do we have a section for Police State matters? <---comment

Besty Woodruff Swan and Daniel Lippman broke the details this week of a new Capitol Police initiative that involves deep dives into the speech, background, and lifestyle details of who members of Congress are meeting with, including donors, Hill staff, mayors, state legislators, and other Americans exercising their First Amendment right to petition their government.

Personal details on Capitol Hill staff, state legislators, or donors are dispersed to partisans and suddenly leaked at an opportune political moment by some agency conveniently immune to the Freedom of Information Act and subject to limited oversight. After the aggressive leaking, spinning, and shaming that bureaucrats engaged in during the Donald Trump years, we’ve seen what’s possible.

This practice also comes dangerously close to burdening the free exercise of political speech, which includes the right to petition the government “for a redress of grievances” without fear of reprisal.

Perhaps they should stop conspiring against the United States?
Sure reads that way, your 'they' being Republican congress members and their constituents that meet with them.

Which 'they' were you referring to then?
 
So all Republican's in Congress and their constituents which have legitimate reasons to meet with them are considered conspirators by you?

Nope, but that said....just like you don't have the right to just jump on a plane, you shouldn't have unfettered access to our legislative branch either.

The question is this....what proof do you have that EVERYONE who is trying to meet with a member of Congress isn't being checked?
 
against a pre-generated list. they dont search your background for a routine security check

There are certain federal buildings that require background screening to enter. Don't want a screening? You don't have to enter. Nobody is making you visit federal property, but don't assume that your privacy is absolute.
 
As soon as some of those elected representatives stop encouraging violence against those they disagree with.
Like these instances?






 
Like these instances?







No, not like that at all. What a stupid waste of time.

Like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3HvbStGT8M
 
I don't think the Capitol Police would take this action on their own without being directed to do so by someone with the authority to issue orders to them.
Isn't the next logical question who directed them to do so?

Yes, who has the most to gain by ordering the Capitol police to spy on congress? Hmmm
 
Like these instances?








Come on, man. At least try.

Get in thier face is nothing even on the level of MTG calling for the actual killing of her coworkers.
 
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