Donald Trump’s administration secretly obtained the telephone records of journalists from the Washington post who wrote about accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, the US daily reported on Friday (May 7th).
The US Department of Justice sent a letter to reporters Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller, as well as former reporter Adam Entous, telling them that he had received their telephone records from personal and work landlines, and from their phones. cellular “For the period from April 15, 2017 to July 31, 2017”, report it Washington post. The latter explains that the ministry at the time also attempted to obtain correspondence by e-mail from the three journalists concerned.
The diary was “Deeply disturbed by this use of government power to gain access to journalists’ communications”, said editor Cameron Barr. “The Ministry of Justice must immediately shed light on the reasons for its intrusion into the activities of reporters, which are protected by the First Amendment” of the Constitution of the United States, he continued.
“This should never have happened”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for its part said the Department of Justice had “Spied on” these journalists “On the whims of a government”. “This should never have happened, tweeted the ACLU. When the government spies on journalists and their sources, it compromises press freedom. “
The Ministry of Justice, for its part, claimed to have followed “Established procedures” concerning this request, writes the newspaper, quoting a spokesperson of the ministry. Letters to reporters did not specify why these records were seized.
But at the end of that time, the three reporters wrote an article about US intelligence suggesting that Jeff Sessions, later become Attorney General (the equivalent of Minister of Justice) under Donald Trump, had discussed the the latter’s campaign with the Russian ambassador.
Moscow is accused of having secretly supported Donald Trump’s candidacy in 2016, in order to promote his victory.