US prosecutors refuse to say if they secretly obtained Don Lemon’s phone records
Experts have expressed deep concerns that the practice runs afoul of the fourth amendment’s right to privacy
TL;DR
- Federal prosecutors have not confirmed if they secretly obtained journalist Don Lemon's phone records using an administrative summons.
- The summons was issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under an obscure law (19 USC 1509), typically used for customs issues, not criminal investigations.
- This practice has raised concerns among legal experts about potential abuse of authority and violations of the Fourth Amendment's right to privacy.
- Another independent journalist, Georgia Fort, also had her phone records obtained via a similar summons without prior notification.
- Defendants in the case, including Lemon, are seeking to dismiss the charges, alleging the government has abused administrative summonses and acted beyond its legal authority.
- The government argues that its use of the summons is permissible as the US Customs Service was integrated into DHS, and the case involves potential crimes against a DHS official.