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Tag: Eric Swalwell

  • AG Wants to Strengthen Policies for Obtaining Lawmaker Data

    AG Wants to Strengthen Policies for Obtaining Lawmaker Data

    US Attorney General Merrick Garland wants to strengthen policies for obtaining lawmaker data and has vowed swift action regarding recent revelations.

    A furor broke out when it was discovered that Trump administration prosecutors subpoenaed Apple in 2017 and 2018 for communications data for House Intelligence Committee Democrats, specifically Chairman Adam Schiff and Congressman Eric Swalwell.

    The subpoena covered data for a least a dozen individuals, including aides, family members and one minor, according to CBS News. To make matters worse, Apple was served with a gag order, preventing them from revealing the subpoenas until May 2021.

    The fallout has been swift and severe, with multiple lawmakers calling for investigations and explanations behind Trump’s Justice Department actions. Current AG Garland has vowed swift action and has launched an investigation into what took place.

    As I stated during my confirmation hearing, political or other improper considerations must play no role in any investigative or prosecutorial decisions. These principles that have long been held as sacrosanct by the DOJ career workforce will be vigorously guarded on my watch, and any failure to live up to them will be met with strict accountability. There are important questions that must be resolved in connection with an effort by the department to obtain records related to Members of Congress and Congressional staff. I have accordingly directed that the matter be referred to the Inspector General and have full confidence that he will conduct a thorough and independent investigation. If at any time as the investigation proceeds action related to the matter in question is warranted, I will not hesitate to move swiftly.

    AG Garland has also ordered a review of policies and procedures to ensure any future action is done within the guidelines of the separation-of-powers principle.

    In addition, and while that review is pending, I have instructed the Deputy Attorney General, who is already working on surfacing potentially problematic matters deserving high level review, to evaluate and strengthen the department’s existing policies and procedures for obtaining records of the Legislative branch. Consistent with our commitment to the rule of law, we must ensure that full weight is accorded to separation-of-powers concerns moving forward.

  • Rep. Eric Swalwell Wants To Let Congress Vote From Home

    Congress is embarrassingly behind the curve when it comes to technology. For example, former Speaker Newt Gingrich doesn’t know the word “smartphone.” A far more dangerous example can be found in the numerous bills, like SOPA and CISPA, that Congress has tried to pass in the last few years. That’s probably not going to change anytime soon, but one freshman lawmaker at least wants to make Congress a little more tech conscious.

    The Hill reports that Rep. Eric Swalwell has submitted a proposal that would allow Congress to vote on noncontroversial bills via a remote and secure voting system. Of course, this would only be allowed under a suspension of regular rules so the more important bills would still require Congressmen to be there in person. His hope is that the system would allow representatives to be at home more often instead of staying in Washington for weeks on end.

    It should come as no surprise that such a forward thinking proposal has come from the newly elected representative of California’s 15th district. The district just so happens to be a little north of Silicon Valley so maybe he could get one of his friends down there to build this secure voting system.

    In even better news, Swalwell is also proposing that lawmakers and witnesses be able to participate in hearings from home via videoconferencing. It would allow Congress to question more people, including those that can’t make it out to Washington, in hearings. Some particularly lazy Congressmen might also be encouraged to attend more hearings as well.

    There’s a lot of security issues that would need to be worked out, but this is an incredibly good idea. I can just see somebody complaining that rewriting the rules to allow this would favor one party or another though. Here’s hoping, however, that Congress will see that a little modernization can go a long way towards improving the system for everyone.