Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com The NSA’s deputy director has expressed skepticism about giving the FBI, DEA and other law enforcement access to the agency’s troves of data, the Guardian reports. NSA’s top civilian, John C. Inglis, said he was unaware of a Senate bill that would allow some law enforcement to search directly through the NSA’s…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A 12-year Secret Service agent who resigned in 2011 to run for a Senate seat in Maryland has written a book about his career. Dan Bongino’s “Life Inside the Bubble: Why a Top-Ranked Secret Service Agent Walked Away from it All” hit the bookshelves Tuesday, offering a look at the staffers, acolytes,…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com If Wednesday was any indication, President Obama’s choice for Department of Homeland Security may have a remarkably smooth nomination process. The Los Angeles Times reports that a Senate committee swiftly supported the appointment of Jeh Johnson, who gained fans among Republicans while the Pentagon’s chief counsel. The committee support means Johnson must…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com How prepared is Homeland Security to handle terrorism threats? On the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a Senate panel will ask that question as it examines the department and interviews former lawmakers and past DHS officials, including the first Homeland Security secretary, Tom Ridge, the Washington Post reports. The…
By Michael A. Memoli Los Angeles Times WASHINGTON – B. Todd Jones is on the cusp of becoming the first Senate-confirmed director of the ATF on Thursday, after a fierce lobbying effort successfully swayed a single Republican lawmaker to change her vote. Democrats had expected a close result, but nonetheless were confident they had the…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com President Obama’s nominee to lead the FBI, James Comey, is likely to face scrutiny over government surveillance following the discovery that the NSA had access to virtually all Americans’ phones, The Wall Street Journal reports. That’s because Comey, a former prosecutor, is intimately familiar with surveillance. In 2004, Comey threatened to resign…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Rep. Mike Rogers is believed to be among President Obama’s top choices for the next FBI director. But senior Republicans have other plans for him, The Hill reports. GOP leaders want the seven-term Michigan Republican, who is backed by the FBI Agents Association, to stay in the legislative branch, either to maintain…
Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Eight months after being nominated, Terrence Berg, the former interim U.S. Attorney in Detroit, was confirmed Thursday by the U.S. Senate for a U.S. District Court judgeship in Detroit, the Detroit Free Press reports. Berg had been waiting for Senate approval since President Obama nominated him to the seat in April. Berg…
