The American Civil Liberties Union has hired Liberty Government Affairs in its bid to reform Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Passed in 2008, Section 702 allows for warrantless surveillance of conversations between people here and overseas.

ACLU

“Under Section 702, the government collects Americans’ international emails and phone calls without a warrant, copies and combs through virtually all international Internet traffic, and asserts the right to use information collected in criminal prosecutions entirely unrelated to terrorism,” blogged Neema Singh Guliani, ACLU’s legislative counsel, on July 27.

The ACLU believes Section 702 goes against America’s constitutional values and leaves the door open to surveillance abuse of religious minorities, political activists and government critics.

Without Congressional reauthorization, Section 702 will expire at yearend. The Trump Administration though backs Section 702 and is expected to push Congress to support extending it as a tool to fight terrorism.

ACLU is expected to lean on Liberty to gin up opposition to reauthorization of Section 702 among Republicans.

LGA’s Brian Darling is a former aide to Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and former Republican Senators Bob Smith (NH) and Mel Martinez (FL).

He also was former government relations director at the conservative Heritage Foundation.