The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to grill James B. Comey about his views on enemy interrogations and government surveillance during a hearing today, The New York Times reports.
President Obama’s choice to be FBI director has faced a tough confirmation process in the midst of revelations that the U.S. is conducting widespread surveillance against its citizens and others across the world.
Among the concerns was Comey’s time as deputy attorney general in the Justice Department under President George W. Bush, who supported government surveillance programs.
“While Comey deserves credit for stopping an illegal spying program in dramatic fashion, he also approved or defended some of the worst abuses of the Bush administration during his time as deputy attorney general. Those included torture, warrantless wiretapping and indefinite detention,” said Laura W. Murphy, the director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s legislative office in Washington.
