FBI researching journalist's phone records

[Nightson]

This morning http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/05/federal_source_.html

A senior federal law enforcement official tells ABC News the government is tracking the phone numbers we (Brian Ross and Richard Esposito) call in an effort to root out confidential sources.
"It's time for you to get some new cell phones, quick," the source told us in an in-person conversation.

Later this evening http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/05/fbi_acknowledge.html

The FBI acknowledged late Monday that it is increasingly seeking reporters' phone records in leak investigations.

"It used to be very hard and complicated to do this, but it no longer is in the Bush administration," said a senior federal official.

The acknowledgement followed our blotter item that ABC News reporters had been warned by a federal source that the government knew who we were calling.

The official said our blotter item was wrong to suggest that ABC News phone calls were being "tracked."

"Think of it more as backtracking," said a senior federal official.

Welcome to America.

 

[momalle1]

Come on now, no politician would abuse this ability!

 

[reverend B]

this is the reason that all this un-warranted wire tapping is anathema to the american way of life. the press is an important part of our system, allowing for independent investigation. this is a way to chase the whistleblowers into the closet and prevent the corrections to extremes that the press can invoke.
and we don't care. no one is responding to this thread, and it is the crux of why this is the most un-american administration i've ever seen, and i watched the unnecessary extremes of nixon. mccarthyism is the closest analogy i can come up with, and the american public has decided that we no longer require our freedom.
congratulations al queada. mission accomplished

 

[Nightson]

Anyone have a problem with the government attempting to stifle free press?

 

[k]

Keep rolling on...

 

[Arnold_Philips]

But they said they were only watching international calls!