Legal Contracts with Telcos Have Precedent to be Broken

clipped from rawstory.com Verizon has provided data to federal authorities on an emergency basis without a court order — and without determining the requests’ legality — 720 times between January 2005 and September of this year. The company’s revelation came in a 13-page letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee released Monday. “It is crucial … that Congress be fully informed of all the Administration’s surveillance activities involving telecommunications companies, particularly in light of the Administration’s request that retroactive immunity from liability be provided to these companies and Administration officials,” House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) wrote to the Director of National Intelligence, requesting a full briefing on the programs.

Canceling service with Verizon can slam you with a huge penalty for breaking your contract. “Early termination” can cost you big bucks.To hell with Verizon.

Verizon broke the contract first when they divulged customer information to the Bush Administration without being subpoenaed. Merely being asked – in legally dubious “Security Letter”, even. Not a subpoena, not a law, not a court order, their BFFs at the Bush White House asked for your info and got it.

The Contract has already been broken. They broke it. Verizon breaks the law.

The Bush Administration’s TelCos

clipped from ap.google.com WASHINGTON (AP) — Three telecommunications companies have declined to tell Congress whether they gave U.S. intelligence agencies access to Americans’ phone and computer records without court orders, citing White House objections and national security. Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell “formally invoked the state secrets privilege to prevent AT&T from either confirming or denying” any details about intelligence programs, AT&T general counsel Wayne Watts wrote in a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Qwest and Verizon also declined to answer, saying the federal government has prohibited them from providing information, discussing or referring to any classified intelligence activities. “Our company essentially finds itself caught in the middle of an oversight dispute between the Congress and the executive relating to government surveillance activities,” Watts wrote.

“Three telecos have declined to tell Congress. Citing White House objections.

Here, the Republican White House says it can use the state secrets privilege (normally something invoked in the courts, not in Congress) to prevent corporations from testifying before Congress.

Democratic Congress demands the right to inform itself about the subject matter on which it legislates, and the executive branch says “no – just do what we want.”

Will the Democratic Congress be as spineless as these 3 telcos?

Note, too, that the three telcos say “the federal government” has prohibited them from providing this information to Congress.

Has Congress removed itself from “the federal government” since we last checked?

Idiots.