FBI lawyer allegedly under investigation for purportedly leaking about Yahoo, Inc. program

[Dashinka 25,856]

By Sara A. Carter 

 

16 Hours Ago

The FBI’s top lawyer is allegedly under investigation for purportedly leaking classified material featured in a Reuters report last year that disclosed a top-secret U.S. surveillance program built by Yahoo Inc, according to several government officials with knowledge of the investigation. 

The Reuters report disclosed the software program developed by Yahoo Inc. for the U.S. government that allowed the intelligence community to search Yahoo emails containing specific characters or phrases. The U.S. government has not publicly acknowledged the program. 

James A. Baker, the general counsel for the FBI, is allegedly under a criminal investigation for an apparent connection to the story published in October 2016, according to several government officials. The Reuters report exposed the top secret security program built by Yahoo Inc. in 2015, that has not been disclosed by the U.S. government. The program, which was built at the request of the U.S. government, allowed intelligence officials to scan what is known as "upstream data" using specific characters or phrase words, according to Reuters. Upstream data is information from a device such as phone or a computer to a server. 

Reuters stated that Yahoo Inc. complied with a classified demand by the U.S. government, “scanning hundreds of millions of Yahoo Mail accounts at the behest of the National Security Agency or FBI, said three former employees and a fourth person apprised of the events.”

FBI spokeswoman Carol Cratty said the bureau would not comment on Baker and did not confirm or deny the alleged criminal investigation. Attempts by Circa to reach Baker, who is reportedly a close confidant of former FBI Director James Comey, through the bureau were not successful. 

DOJ officials would not comment on Circa’s inquiry but said, Attorney General Jeff Sessions will be making a announcement next week about the department’s “stepped up efforts on leak investigations.”

A senior government official, with close knowledge of the intelligence community, alleges Baker opposed the Yahoo Inc. software program and has in his position at the FBI held up Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants. The warrants allow the intelligence community to monitor person’s communications overseas and must be approved through the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC).

 

https://www.circa.com/story/2017/07/28/politics/fbi-general-counsel-allegedly-under-investigation-for-alleged-leaks-exposing-yahoo-inc-program

[IAMX 3,055]

Yahoo.. in charge of security? Have these people not kept up with the news in the last decade?

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

2 hours ago, IAMX said:

Yahoo.. in charge of security? Have these people not kept up with the news in the last decade?

Seriously Yahoo is the last ones you want to watch for or develop security measures. 

[Dashinka 25,856]

17 hours ago, cyberfx1024 said:

Seriously Yahoo is the last ones you want to watch for or develop security measures. 

No doubt.