What It’s Like to Fight a National Security Letter

Here’s a very quick and interesting article from the WSJ.  I mean this case is once again a perfect microcosm for what is going on in America today.  These are the types of folks that the Department of Injustice and the FBI are chasing after, while there are thousands of financial criminals running around free after destroying the entire U.S. economy.  Just like they charged modern American heroes like senior NSA whistleblower, Thomas Drake, under the Espionage Act (unsuccessfully at the expense of millions of taxpayer dollars).

So here is the story of Nicholas Merrill, who received a National Security Letter in 2004, and was so scared to tell anyone about it that during his trial his father developed cancer and passed away without him ever being able to share his story…

Key Quotes:
Mr. Merrill is one of only a few people in the U.S. who can talk publicly about what it’s like to receive a national security letter, which allows the Federal Bureau of Investigation to seek financial, phone and Internet records about companies’ customers.


Later that year, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Victor Marrero found that the law behind national security letters was unconstitutional, in part because it lacked a provision allowing for challenges.

Appeals and settlement negotiations continued in the case until 2010.

The FBI eventually dropped its request for information, but Mr. Merrill remained under the full secrecy order until the case was settled.

He said that during that time, he was unable to explain to people why he was missing important events or tell them when he was emotional about a ruling. During the trial, Mr. Merrill’s father developed cancer; just before he died, Mr. Merrill says, he thought about telling him of the case, but eventually he decided against it.

The American Gestapo at work ladies and gentleman.

Full article here.

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2 thoughts on “What It’s Like to Fight a National Security Letter”

    • The Patriot Act is a COPY and PASTE of the same infamous laws passed by a certain Adolf Hitler. Even the name Homeland Security is EXACTLY the same name utilized by the Nazis. Incredible indeed but it quite normal since we also know the links that the Bush family had wth the Nazis. Prescott Bush was Adolf Hitler banker in USA. Is it different with Obama now ? Not one bit. If I was American, I would try to leave USA as soon as possible.

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