Mysterious privacy board touted by Obama has deep government ties (Privacy & Civil Liberties Board)

[Catherina]

Mysterious privacy board touted by Obama has deep government ties

Privacy & Civil Liberties Board at the heart of Obama's effort to address NSA surveillance scandal is itself a Washington enigma

Dan Roberts in Washington
guardian.co.uk, Friday 21 June 2013 18.33 BST



A security guard at 2100 K Street in Washington said he had no record of the mystery body that claimed to occupy suite 500. Photograph: Dan Roberts for the Guardian

The body charged by President Obama with protecting the civil liberties and privacy of the American people exists in shadows almost as dark as the intelligence agencies it is designed to oversee.

The Privacy & Civil Liberties Board (PCLOB) was due to meet Obama at the White House on Friday afternoon at 3pm in the situation room to discuss growing concerns over US surveillance of phone and internet records – or, at least, that's what unnamed "senior administration officials" said would happen.

...

To be fair, that might be because the PCLOB does not have a website, nor an email address, nor indeed any independent full-time staff. Its day-to-day administration is currently run by a government official on secondment from the office of the Director of National Intelligence.

In fact, even the office address given out by the PCLOB in the few public letters that exist does not appear to be functioning. A security guard at the federal buildings on 2100 K Street in Washington said he had no record of the mystery body that claimed to occupy suite 500.

...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/21/privacy-civil-liberties-obama-secretive

[Downwinder]

1. An additional layer of secrecy for the worlds worst kept secret.

[Catherina]

4. The FISA has only been an important issue for how many years now?

These guys are killing me!

[DevonRex]

16. I suppose you found the links with all the members below. Ten seconds on Google.

The article is bullshit.

I took time to look up a member. Just one. Patricia Wald. I have links below, too. She sounds wonderful. Don't know why anybody would smear her. She belongs to this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Society_Justice_Initiative

I figure you can find her on Google yourself. Or go to one of my posts below.

[Uncle Joe]

2. It's a seven layer salad, the little peas on the bottom will never see the bacon on top,

Last edited Sun Jun 23, 2013, 01:22 PM - Edit history (1)

no matter how hard they try.



Thanks for the thread, Catherina.

[Catherina]

3. I'm laughing so hard. How do you come up with these great analogies? n/t

[Uncle Joe]

5. Thanks, Catherina

Peace to you.

[frazzled]

6. They publish in the Federal Register, and member names are known

Here, for instance, is a notice of proposed rule making from the Board published May 15, with a public comment period of 22 days. Write them right on the website!:

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/05/15/2013-11333/freedom-of-information-privacy-act-and-government-in-the-sunshine-act-procedures

A February notice regarding rules for the Rights and Protections ...

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/02/26/2013-04467/no-fear-act-notice-notice-of-rights-and-protections-available-under-federal-antidiscrimination-and

Public notice about the Board's organization and functions:

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/06/05/2013-13166/organization-and-delegation-of-powers-and-duties#h-16

Etc.

The administrator is clearly listed, even with a phone number and email, if you feel like calling or emailing

Susan Reingold, Chief Administrative Officer, Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, at (look up the phone number and email if you wish ... I don't like to post these things, but it's right at the links.

As for the members of the Board, they were confirmed by the Senate, after the president made appointments:

On December 17, 2010, President Obama nominated Elisebeth C. Cook to be a Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 29, 2014. On December 22, 2010, the nomination was returned to the President under the provisions of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate. On January 5, 2011, President Obama again nominated Elisebeth C. Cook to be a Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 29, 2014. A hearing to consider the nomination was held on April 18, 2012. An archived webcast is available. Cook was confirmed by the Senate on August 2, 2012

On December 17, 2010, President Obama nominated James X. Dempsey to be a Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 29, 2016. On December 22, 2010, the nomination was returned to the President under the provisions of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate. On January 5, 2011, President Obama again nominated James X. Dempsey to be a Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 29, 2016. A hearing to consider the nomination was held on April 18, 2012. An archived webcast is available. Dempsey was confirmed by the Senate on August 2, 2012.

On December 16, 2011, President Obama nominated Rachel L. Brand to be a Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 29, 2017. A hearing to consider the nomination was held on April 18, 2012. An archived webcast is available. Brand was confirmed by the Senate on August 2, 2012.

On December 16, 2011, President Obama nominated David Medine to be Chairman and Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 29, 2012, and a term expiring January 29, 2018 (reappointment). A hearing to consider the nomination was held on April 18, 2012. An archived webcast is available.

On January 3, 2013, the nomination was returned to the President under the provisions of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate. On January 22, 2013, President Obama nominated David Medine to be Chairman and Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 30, 2018 (new position). Medine was confirmed by the Senate on May 7, 2013.

On December 16, 2011, President Obama nominated Patricia M. Wald to be a Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 29, 2013. On April 16, 2012, President Obama nominated Patricia M. Wald to be a Member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board for a term expiring January 29, 2019 (reappointment). A hearing to consider the nomination was held on April 18, 2012. An archived webcast is available. Wald was confirmed by the Senate on August 2, 2012.

http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/112thCongressExecutiveNominations/PrivacyAndCivilLibertiesOversightBoard.cfm

The Guardian is turning into a real bullshit mill, isn't it?

[ProSense]

8. They should have had "deep " private sector ties.

Anti-government is good, I guess.

[Downwinder]

17. Don't see anyone from EFF or EPIC.

[OilemFirchen]

11. They have a top secret Wikipedia entry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_and_Civil_Liberties_Oversight_Board

Recommended by the 9/11 Commission Report issued on July 22, 2004, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board was initially established by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.[4] It consisted of five members appointed by the President. The Board was part of the Executive Office of the President and was supported by an Executive Director and staff.

The Senate keeps it all hush-hush by hiding appointments behind this ultraclassified URL:

http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/112thCongressExecutiveNominations/PrivacyAndCivilLibertiesOversightBoard.cfm

The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board consists of five members appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

And the Judiciary obfuscates their very existence by squirreling away their legal authority:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/chapter-21E

BTW, I supposedly found this using the Google. But really. Who am I kidding?

[DevonRex]

13. Seriously. What a fucking joke.

But then, apparently GG is their star.

[DevonRex]

15. Take a look at Patricia Wald. In the Open Society Justice Initiative. Cool!

Appointed by Carter to DC Circuit Court of Appeals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Wald

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Society_Justice_Initiative

Open Society Foundations
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Open Society Justice Initiative)
Open Society Foundations

Founder(s) George Soros
Founded 1993
Headquarters New York City, United States
Key people George Soros, Chairman
Christopher Stone, President
Stewart J. Paperin, Executive Vice President
Website opensocietyfoundations.org
The network of Open Society Foundations (OSF), formerly the Open Society Institute (OSI) until 2011, is a grantmaking operation founded by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform. On a local level, OSF implements a range of initiatives to support the rule of law, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, OSF works to build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as combating corruption and rights abuses.
One of the aims of the OSF is the development of civil society organizations (e.g., charities and community groups) to encourage participation in democracy and society.[1] The name is inspired by Karl Popper's 1945 book The Open Society and Its Enemies.[2]

[MNBrewer]

7. NO CONFIDENCE Barack Obama Administration.

[frazzled]

9. Gee, that was a well-thought-out comment

Considering you didn't even check to see if any allegations in that article were true or not ... which they seem to be NOT.

As I posted above, the Board activities and its members are pretty transparent: on the Web; with phone numbers and emails; Members of the Board duly confirmed by the US Senate with their names made public. (You can even listen to podcasts of the confirmation hearings.)

Anything else? Or do you just feel like jerking knees some more?

[MNBrewer]

10. The "great" man's own words

http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/obama-considered-moderate-republican-1980s/story?id=17973080#.UcZ-HPb72jI

[DevonRex]

14. Hm. Why wouldn't you like Judge Patricia Wald, for example. She was appointed by Carter

To the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Served 20 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Wald

She's on the Open Society Justice Initiative. I guess you know nothing about that. I do, though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Society_Justice_Initiative

Open Society Foundations
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Open Society Justice Initiative)
Open Society Foundations

Founder(s) George Soros
Founded 1993
Headquarters New York City, United States
Key people George Soros, Chairman
Christopher Stone, President
Stewart J. Paperin, Executive Vice President
Website opensocietyfoundations.org
The network of Open Society Foundations (OSF), formerly the Open Society Institute (OSI) until 2011, is a grantmaking operation founded by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform. On a local level, OSF implements a range of initiatives to support the rule of law, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, OSF works to build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as combating corruption and rights abuses.
One of the aims of the OSF is the development of civil society organizations (e.g., charities and community groups) to encourage participation in democracy and society.[1] The name is inspired by Karl Popper's 1945 book The Open Society and Its Enemies.[2]

[OilemFirchen]

12. Dan Roberts (Guardian UK) does not exist.

Where is his web site?