President Trump dismissed three Democratic members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, undermining the agency's ability to monitor U.S. intelligence activities. This agency has been pivotal in scrutinizing issues like terrorist watchlists and data privacy agreements with Europe. The ousted members filed a lawsuit against Trump, arguing that his actions violated separation of powers and curbed essential oversight over civil liberties. Currently, the board lacks a quorum to conduct significant work, potentially stalling crucial investigations and reports on intelligence practices.
The President's actions strike at the heart of the separation of powers... they hobble an agency that Congress created to assist it with oversight of the executive branch.
Trump's removal of the board's Democratic members is seen as an attack on a vital check against the infringement of ordinary Americans' civil liberties.
#civil-liberties #government-oversight #intelligence-community #trump-administration #privacy-rights
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