Today, the FBI filed a criminal complaint with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The FBI was seeking a warrant to arrest Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez for violating 18 U.S.C. Section 1751(c). That section pertains to attempts to kill the President of the United States.
Last weekend, I had spotted Donald Kerr’s comments about reinterpreting privacy to mean that the government should have access to our private communications and financial information provided proper safeguards are in place. Who trusts the government to erect proper safeguards? Today, PC World reported that a former FBI and CIA employee had plead guilty to accessing a U.S. government computer system for unlawful purposes. The details of this case should make everyone think twice about granting the government unfettered access to all our private data.
In this case, a woman from Lebanon obtained American citizenship by entering into a fraudulent marriage. With her U.S. citizenship in hand, she was then able to secure employment with the FBI and CIA, two governmental agencies you assume would perform rigorous background checks on all their job applicants. Then, while working at the FBI, she looked up information on her family members and Hizballah. Sure, the government was able to secure a conviction, but let’s talk about those government safeguards. We’re talking about an ex-waitress and hostess at a Detroit restaurant, not a highly trained mole trying to embed into the upper echelons of our government. If she can penetrate the FBI and CIA, we’re screwed. And, all your neighbors who work for the government are reading through your file on the taxpayer’s dime. Good grief!