DOJ National Security Chief Resigns Amidst Fallout Over Apple Phone Records Of Democrats And Reporters Being Snooped On
The top national security chief for the Department of Justice has resigned amidst a turbulent fallout over the pulling of Apple and Microsoft phone records of Democrats and reporters during the Trump administration.
The news comes following a probe into the DOJ’s procedures after they subpoenaed Democratic lawmakers’ communication records.
According to NBC News, John Demers will resign by the end of the week, he has been the head of DOJ’s national security division since 2018. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, requested that Demers testify publicly about his intelligence on the DOJ’s secret subpoenas to Apple and Microsoft for information linked to Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell.
Per reports, Democrats discovered from Apple that it was the Trump administration that secretly obtained the records and not the Biden administration.
“We need a thorough accounting to answer the many questions about how and why the Department of Justice subpoenaed records related to members of Congress, their staff, and journalists,” Schiff said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland spoke out about the changes to come following the discovery,
“[P]olitical or other improper considerations must play no role in any investigative or prosecutorial decisions,” he said. “These principles that have long been held as sacrosanct by the DOJ career workforce will be vigorously guarded on my watch, and any failure to live up to them will be met with strict accountability.”
“I have instructed the deputy attorney general, who is already working on surfacing potentially problematic matters deserving high level review, to evaluate and strengthen the department’s existing policies and procedures for obtaining records of the Legislative branch,” Garland said. “Consistent with our commitment to the rule of law, we must ensure that full weight is accorded to separation-of-powers concerns moving forward, and any failure to live up to them will be met with strict accountability