Proposed New Legislation Seeks To End Secret FISA Court Process In US - Senator Paul

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th February, 2020) New legislation is about to be introduced in Congress to end the power of Secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts (FISA) to spy on US citizens, presidential, Federal and state election campaigns, Senator Rand Paul said.

"I will introduce legislation to make sure secret courts can no longer spy on presidential campaigns, campaigns for federal or state office or on individuals who exercise their first amendment rights," Paul said in a video message on Thursday. "We cannot pick and choose which of the Bill of Rights we can enforce."

The secret FISA court should be forbidden from spying on political campaigns ever again, Paul said in reference to claims by President Donald Trump and his associates that the Trump campaign was spied on during and shortly after the 2016 presidential race.

"No American should ever be spied on by this secret court ever again. These secret courts created to protect us are in some cases being used to spy on us. ...No secret court should be granted all that power without the consent of the American people," Paul said.

The US federal government continued to violate Fourth Amendment rights guaranteed in the US Bill of Rights and Constitution, Paul added.

The Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees Americans the right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures.