Wiretap Whistleblower, a Life in Limbo?

Newsweek has an interesting report on Thomas M. Tamm, the individual who blew the whistle on the Federal Government's warrantless wiretaps. The piece takes a look at some of the circumstances leading up to the disclosure and what has happened since. "After the raid, Justice Department prosecutors encouraged Tamm to plead guilty to a felony for disclosing classified information — an offer he refused. More recently, Agent Lawless, a former prosecutor from Tennessee, has been methodically tracking down Tamm's friends and former colleagues. The agent and a partner have asked questions about Tamm's associates and political meetings he might have attended, apparently looking for clues about his motivations for going to the press, according to three of those interviewed."

Comments

Don't take freedom for granted

[alain94040]

Very chilling. Do not take your freedom for granted. I'll share my personal story to show how quickly a thriving democracy can turn into an oppresive regime, here in the US.

Remember the times that led to the invsasion of Iraq? American flags on every highway overpass?

I just happened to be in the process of getting my green card, which means my future was at the mercy of a faceless US government bureaucrat. A rejection and I'd have to pack with my family (including two US born children) and find another place in the globe to settle.

I had published a couple of letters to the editors in the San Jose Mercury News, discussing politics. I was reading foreign media which were hinting that US intelligence on Iraq WMD was bogus. Guess what? I stood very quiet, very silent. Who knows who was listening and how far the goverment was willing to go to silence dissent. If it had been just me, I would have stood up and fought for my rights, but with my family in mind, I decided to cave.

Think about this for a second: the best place on earth, and still scared of what the government might do to me. Call me paranoid, but it felt like a very real threat. It's only in the last two years or so, with Obama rising, that the oppressive feeling has left.

--
http://fairsoftware.net/

Re:Don't take freedom for granted

[Lumpy]

and it's not unexpected. If you blow the whistle on illegal activities the perpetrators of the crime will harass you and your family to pay you back.

The feds are simply punishing him and his family for outing their illegal activities. nothing different than what the organized crime people will do... well except they kill everyone, the Feds are not at that level yet.

Re:Don't take freedom for granted

[Anonymous Coward]

An article everybody should read: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/apr/24/usa.comment

I'm afraid it could be too late already.

Re:Don't take freedom for granted

[Smidge204]

Dude commits a felony and they go after him for it and that is "chilling"? Howso?

It's chilling because you have to break the law in order to even report another (arguably greater) crime, and there is absolutely no consideration for the whistleblower during his own persecution.

Where on the scale of criminal law does broad scale warrantless wiretapping fall?
=Smidge=

Re:Don't take freedom for granted

[unlametheweak]

nothing different than what the organized crime people will do... well except they kill everyone, the Feds are not at that level yet.

In something reminiscent of The Prisoner, the CIA threw a former LSD researcher out of a hotel window when he told his colleagues that he wanted to quit his job because of ethical issues dealing with his research. Although the CIA denied the claims (and the referenced URL doesn't get into details), there is evidence that contradicts the CIA's claim that he committed suicide by jumping out of the window. In fact the forensic evidence indicated that he was thrown out of the window (according to the American Justice account). "Frank Olson's body was exhumed in 1994, and cranial injuries indicated Olson had been knocked unconscious before exiting the window." (Ref. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKULTRA).

Though that is just one account that was made public and that the CIA denies (even though the government eventually awarded the family financial damages).

Re:Don't take freedom for granted

[0xdeadbeef]

You gotta love the freeper mentality: "You believe that the government in the continental US is as degenerate and unaccountable as our military in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay? You're paranoid!"

Look at history: COINTELPRO, agents provocateurs, enemies lists, McCarthyism.

Six years ago a radio station had children stomping on and setting fire to Dixie Chicks albums because they were ashamed of the president, unwittingly reenacting one of the funniest scenes from Starship Troopers. Who knew how far it would go? Who knew how stupid and paranoid the government would become? If the citizenry was any indication, very. After 9/11, our country was on the short bus to crazytown.

Re:Don't take freedom for granted

[CFTM]

But being an ideologue is so much fun!

Seriously, Obama had an opportunity to set himself apart when Telco immunity came to the floor but he joined with rank and file on this issue. Government, on both sides of the isle, has no desire to ever give power up.

Re:Don't take freedom for granted

[fredrated]

It should not be possible to classify illegal government activity. This man took a chance to protect my freedom and yours, if you don't respect that then I have to ask: why do you hate America's freedoms?

Re:Don't take freedom for granted

[pudge]

I sincerely hope that was ignorance not spin you were displaying there.

With the knowledge and implied consent of the leaders of both houses of Congress (including Democrats); with the stated legal approval of the head of the FISA Court of Appeals; with the legal justification written by the Clinton Justice Department.

I am not in favor of the practice. I'm against it. But I am not blind enough to say this was all Bush.

Re:Agent Lawless?

[morgan_greywolf]

What the hell is this Lawless dude's deal anyway? Checking out Tamm's motivations? Oh, I'm sure he must be a terrorist, right?

Fsck that. Tamm reported what he clearly felt was illegal activity being performed by the federal government. As far as I'm concerned, I don't want Lawless spending another red cent of my tax dollars going after Tamm. Tamm is a patriot as far as I'm concerned. We should all stand up and applaud his efforts in exposing this ugly, terrible government corruption. These acts are illegal, going against our highest laws, morals and ideals. The Founding Fathers are rolling in their graves at this immense injustice.

If anyone is a criminal, it's Agent Lawless.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:One Day

[nickmalthus]

Yes, Mr. Tamm is a REAL American hero, sacrificing his career and potentially his freedom to preserve and protect the basic rights that are the pillars of our society. As the saying goes, "Evil prospers when good men do nothing." Shame on the cowards at the FBI Justice Department who retaliated against him.

Tamm's legal defense fund

[5pp000]

Thomas Tamm Legal Defense Fund
Bank of Georgetown
5236 44th Street
Washington, DC 20015

Everyone who cares about freedom in the US should chip in. I'm going to (despite being quite strapped at the moment).