|
Federal Government
|
|
By Administrator
|
|
Monday, 20 May 2013 14:11 |
|
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Associated Press' president and chief executive says the government's secret seizure of two months of reporters' phone records has already had a chilling effect on newsgathering, a week after the subpoenas were revealed publicly.
Gary Pruitt on Sunday called the Justice Department's actions "unconstitutional" and said the AP hasn't ruled out legal action.
Pruitt says the seizure has made sources less willing to talk to AP journalists and, in the long term, could limit Americans' information from all news outlets.
In a separate interview with the AP, Pruitt said President Barack Obama "should rein in that out-of-control investigation."
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says national security leaks to reporters "can get our agents overseas killed" and need to be stopped.
|
|
Last Updated on Monday, 20 May 2013 14:12 |
|
Federal Government
|
|
By Administrator
|
|
Monday, 20 May 2013 13:57 |
|
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is taking a new case on the intersection of religion and government in a dispute over prayers used to open meetings in an upstate New York town.
The justices said Monday they will review an appeals court ruling that held that he town of Greece in suburban Rochester violated the Constitution by opening nearly every meeting over an 11-year span with prayers that stressed Christianity.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the town should have made a greater effort to invite people from other faiths to open its monthly board meetings.
The town says the high court already has upheld prayers at the start of legislative meetings and that private citizens offered invocations of their own choosing. |
|
Last Updated on Monday, 20 May 2013 13:58 |
|
Federal Government
|
|
By Administrator
|
|
Friday, 17 May 2013 14:12 |
|
WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee says the Internal Revenue Service's improper targeting of tea party and conservative groups seems to be part of a culture of cover-ups and political intimidation by the Obama administration.
The remark by Republican Dave Camp of Michigan came as his panel began a hearing on the IRS's tough screening of conservative groups.
The panel's top Democrat, Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan, disagreed with Camp and warned that the hearing shouldn't be aimed at scoring points for election campaigns.
The ousted head of the IRS, Steven Miller, said in a prepared statement that while his agency made mistakes, they were caused by a desire to efficiently handle growing numbers of applications for tax-exempt status — and not caused by political viewpoints.
|
|
Last Updated on Friday, 17 May 2013 14:14 |
|
Federal Government
|
|
By Administrator
|
|
Tuesday, 14 May 2013 10:19 |
|
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress was not told that tea party groups were being inappropriately targeted by the Internal Revenue Service, even after acting agency Commissioner Steven T. Miller had been briefed on the matter.
The IRS said Monday that Miller was first informed on May, 3, 2012, that applications for tax-exempt status by tea party groups were inappropriately singled out for extra scrutiny.
At least twice after the briefing, Miller wrote letters to members of Congress to explain the process of reviewing applications for tax-exempt status without disclosing that tea party groups had been targeted.
On July 25, 2012, Miller testified before the House Ways and Means oversight subcommittee but again did not talk about that issue — despite being asked about it.
|
