In the last year of the Obama caliphate, Samantha Powers unmasked 260 United States citizens. To give you some idea how many that is, consider this.
The second place unmasker had half of that number in 8 years. In sworn testimony before Congress, Powers told them that she didn’t authorize all of those unmaskings. She, however, failed to say how someone could have made the requests in her name or what percentage of the requests weren’t hers. Now, her worst fears have been realized now that Judicial Watch has put her square in the middle of the bullseye.
Judicial Watch (JJW) has a knack for getting information that even Congress is denied.
Via Judicial Watch:
Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of State for “unmasking” and other records tied to Obama’s United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power relating to the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:18-cv-00300)). Unmasking refers generally to the practice of political appointees obtaining the identities of American citizens referenced in intelligence surveillance of foreign nationals.
Judicial Watch sued the State Department after it failed to respond to an October 31, 2017, FOIA request seeking information about Power’s unusual unmasking requests, including:
All requests for information submitted to any Intelligence Community member agency by former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power concerning, regarding, or relating to the following:
Any actual or suspected effort by the Russian government or any individual acting on behalf of the Russian government to influence or otherwise interfere with the 2016 presidential election. The alleged hacking of computer systems utilized by the Democratic National Committee and/or the Clinton presidential campaign.
Any actual or suspected communication between any member of the Trump presidential campaign or transition team and any official or employee of the Russian government or any individual acting on behalf of the Russian government.
The identities of U.S. citizens associated with the Trump presidential campaign or transition team who were identified pursuant to intelligence collection activities.
As lawyer Jay Sekulow noted that most of those 260 unmaskings took place in the last few weeks of the Obama administration, which probably means she was unmasking dozens of people a day.
Lock her up.
